Zombies
by dark shadowed rose
Summary: Kagome is in Karakura Town when Zombies start attacking; Goal One get out of the city safely. Goal Two find a way back to Tokyo. Goal Three find her brother and mother. Goal Four get outside the blockade safely. Never mind anything else. M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Zombies**

**Disclaimer I own neither Bleach or Inuyasha nor any Zombie Movies, I was inspired by High school of the Dead, Last of the Living, and just about any other zombie movie out there that I've seen. And yes this is a product of boredom and lack of sleep considering I thought of this at five in the morning. By the way this takes place after Ichigo beat Aizen and lost his powers and as if the never manga picks up again. And sorry my faithful Everyone's Dead fans this just wouldn't go away till I wrote it, so now that it's done maybe I can work on chapter 32.**

Kagome stared out the window, she hadn't wanted to go on the field trip with her college but her Mother had insisted, she didn't know why, she had all the credit she needed to get her history degree. She didn't need to commit herself to a field trip to Karakura town on her last week of spring break, one that got some extra credit. Kagome sighed, she knew she hadn't been quite the same since the well closed but it had been unexpected, it had after all stayed open a whole year after they killed Naraku, then one day she went home and couldn't go back, true she had said and heard all she needed to, and even got to see Miroku and Sango's eldest take her first assisted step, but it had been so sudden.

Then she faced knowing no one got what it was like to see hundreds dead, to kill or be killed, she had trouble fitting in, the point was proven when Ayumi accidentally killed a would be rapist, Kagome totally got it. But the other two couldn't take knowing their friend, their quiet friend had killed a man, so they split and if that wasn't enough, Ayumi couldn't handle knowing she had killed someone, she had tried to commit suicide and failed, after that her family moved away and Ayumi didn't call or write.

So Kagome was left alone, and if she hadn't worried her mother before, she did now. It bothered her, she didn't want to worry her, and it wasn't like she didn't try to make friends, and technically she had them. But she knew she would never trust them to help her or protect her the way she had others, and they couldn't even get over the fact she had technically failed middle school and had to retest. So she wasn't quite the happy go lucky girl she had been at sixteen or even seventeen, and that worried her mother, but at least Souta didn't worry, not after a talk they had just after the well closed.

_Kagome sat in her room, she half thought she was still in shock, when she hadn't gone through the well the first try she jumped again, it still didn't work, and that was when she started crying. She sat there for an hour or two before her Grandfather heard her crying, that had been two days before._

_A knock on her door startled her and she realize she had been staring at the wall, for she didn't know how long, she turned to see Souta staring at her seriously, "What?"_

_Souta walked in and sat on her bed, then he took her hand, acting as if he was older, "Kagome I know it hurts to have lost them like this, but you said good bye, you know they were happy, you know they had children, and lived. Now you have to too, you can't act like a zombie you need to live too, meet a guy, marry him, and have children, take care of the shrine or move out and have a job, it doesn't matter, but you have to go on, if not for you, for them. I know you changed with your travels, saw things no one here understands, but you can't live like this and you can't give up. So cry tonight if you must, but get up tomorrow and live."_

_Then while she was still in shock he got up and left, a small, sad smile on his face. The next morning she did as asked and after a time she didn't have to fake it as much, and that was the day she stopped calling him squirt._

Grandfather had died the next spring in his sleep, and that was when Kagome decided she couldn't live at the shrine any longer, she loved to visit but she couldn't live there, so first chance she got she moved out and started college to become a history teacher.

Which lead her here, she spoiled her mom best as she could to make up for leaving and not being what her mother wanted, so when her mom said go, she went. The bus pulled up to the museum, Kagome was amused that so many had come, needing the extra credit, meaning taking the train with the big local crowd wouldn't quite work, or at least not today with them going to the Karakura museum of Warfare in the Kamakura era, so boring old bus it was.

They hopped off and while she stretched, she noticed across the street on the sidewalk was a commotion, a police officer was there and a bunch of people had stopped and either were helping or staring, so she couldn't see what was going on, just that something was. Then they went into the museum, four hours and lunch later they were leaving, and driving though the city Kagome noticed and she wasn't sure many others did, but there seemed to be a lot of fighting considering Karakura was no where near as big as Tokyo and unless you were some place unsafe, you weren't likely to see this kind of fighting, not mention some of the fighters looked very hurt to be fighting.

But they drove right on past and soon they reached the hotel, there was an announcement made before they left the bus.

"**Now I know the plan was to let you out and spend the afternoon sight seeing on your own but, with the riots in the city we feel it is unsafe and ask you to stay in the rooms for the rest the day till we leave early tomorrow."**

Kagome was willing to stay inside and watch a movie or something but the girls sitting behind her were already talking about where they were going, Kagome rolled her eyes, the two were spoiled brats who didn't know anything, the only reason they were even in collage was their fathers made donations to the smaller collage. Gee she wondered why, the two were dumb as rocks and she had seen talking rocks before, and she could see the resemblance. Play nice, she scolded herself, just because she hated talking to the two because they would make fun of her the moment she turned her back, didn't mean she had to sink to their level. She left the bus and headed up the stairs, unwilling to wait for the elevator to go up the four floors. She went to the room she shared with two others, and turned on the TV, nodding when the other two told her they were going two doors down to hang out with some of their friends, and play some poker.

**4:46 p.m. Same day.**

Kagome had just finished her rented movie, when she heard a scream down the hall, she put her shoes on and poked her head out of the room. She rolled her eyes, seeing the crowd out in the hall, most without shoes and even a few without shirts, but then she recognized the voice screaming. It was Kichida, one of the two she had heard planing to go out despite the riots. Kagome headed down the hall, moving others out of the way, she even shoved past one of the eight teachers who had come along, she then knelt next to the hysterical girl.

"Shut up!" she said to the crowd at large, not caring if they were upset, she scanned the girl and realized something had bit her, and what's more she couldn't find Ito in the crowd. "Back up!" she called ignoring the others babbling over her and at her. "Bandages! She's bleeding!" and hearing the voices get louder and feeling the crowd press closer to her back, she yelled again exasperated "Back up! She's hysterical, and needs space, and a chance to calm down before she'll make sense, so BACK UP!"

The teachers finally made themselves useful and began pushing back the others in the hall, all students. They had after all rented out the whole floor. From there she and Yamamota picked up Kichida and moved her to the nearest bed. They laid her out and Kagome felt someone press a towel into her hand, "Thanks," she said not looking up. She pressed hard on the wound and ignored the small scream, "Shut up! It's bleeding way too much for such a small and shallow wound and I need to get it stopped. Or would you rather keep bleeding?"

"Higurashi!" came a scandalized voice from behind her, one of the teachers not liking her tone. "Deal." Kagome said not looking up, she lifted the towel off the small wound on the girl's leg, it looked for sure like something had bit her but it had rather blunt and short teeth, and if she thought hard the teeth that came to mind were human teeth. Hearing the muttering behind her she spoke again, "Shut up, I've found one of the best ways to deal with people in shock is to be blunt, so they cooperate."

Kagome put the towel back, glad the bleeding had slowed some, she looked Kichida up and down, noticing the splatters of blood on her shirt, one at shoulder level almost like someone near her had been beheaded, or had their throat torn open, and then one more at like hip level, Kagome wasn't sure how you could get a blood spray there but she hadn't really seen someone shot with a gun either. "Kichida where is Ito?"

Someone behind her gasped like they hadn't realized the girl was missing and Kagome half wondered how someone could miss it, the two went everywhere together. The girl's dazed eyes met hers at the question, and for a moment Kagome saw a pain very familiar to her, the pain of losing a friend.

"She's one of them!"

Kagome's eyebrows drew together, what the hell did the girl mean? Then she remember the rioting, that didn't make sense. Why would Ito join the Rioters? Wait... if she was attacked by the Rioters they had to be coming this way. "Someone look out the window and tell me what you see. Kichida what do you mean?"

"She's gone!" the girl wailed thrashing on the bed, tears running down her face.

She continued to cry, while someone went to the window, before they fell away in shock, mumbling; "Oh my god! Oh my god!"

Kagome looked away from Kichida for the first time since she looked out in the hall, "WHAT?"

Yamamota walked to the window stepping over Suzuki, as she stared up at the window in shock, then Yamamota spoke his voice shaking. "The Rioters are outside and their biting people, some of them are getting shot by others on the street... oh god he's getting up!"

Kagome was up faster then she thought possible, she looked out the window, her first thought had been demons, but it was just normal humans... except some of them looked hurt and they were biting others on the street. Kagome briefly wondered why they couldn't hear the gun shots she was seeing, before she remembered not only did this hotel claim a prim spot in the center of the city, but as such it was in a main place it had been sound proofed, so the city noise wouldn't wake the guests.

She watched someone fall under the swarm of eight or more of the... the... They weren't demons... They kind looked like they might be zombies. Fresh bit marks, oozing blood and other bodily fluids, and only falling under head wounds.

"What are they?" Suzuki whispered, shaking next to her, Kagome looked at her briefly wondering when she had gotten to her feet, she looked and on her other side Yamamota had pressed himself to the glass, the other four teachers doing the same.

"Zombies. I would think it obvious." Kagome was surprised by her blase statement. She shook her head and turned away from the window, mind racing. Demons were dead, so there was no way someone like Kagura had done it. So that meant all the stupid movies Souta liked so much were the most likely scenario, her gaze shot towards Kichida. She had been bitten. Kagome bit her lip, she had learned some healing from Kaede before the well closed, she could try and see if that helped. But Zombies? Kagome pinched the bridge of her nose, if the movies were right was this the first incident or was the whole of Japan at risk? And if it was the whole of Japan that likely meant the whole world, right?

First get out of here, then go home and see if Mom and Souta are still alive and where she can find them. Then she could go from there. Then she realize there was an even more first step, get a weapon. She ruled out a gun right away, she didn't know how to shoot one, she didn't have her bow with her, that was at home, so at some point during her get out of the city plan, she needed to stop by a sports store, for now...

She scanned the room, no, no, no... Damn it! Was there anything she could use? Kagome grabbed the big mirror off the wall, it was hard but she managed, then she almost threw it before realizing most in the room weren't wearing shoes. "You'll want shoes."

They stared at her before she mimed throwing the mirror and they got it, they scrambled for shoes and Kagome waited, they stood in their shoes all still confused, or at least dazed by the shock of what they found out in the last five minutes. She threw it and glass shattered, flying every which way, Kichida sat up on the bed surprised by the noise, but the metal frame Kagome been after was now glass free, and breakable, she twisted a piece of the frame off, leaving her with a two and half to three foot long piece of metal mostly without sharp edges, Kagome looked to the open door, students were once again crowding in despite the best efforts of the last two teachers, "Grab your own," she walked to the door.

"Look everyone I'll tell you what's going on if you back up and let me out to the hall." The crowd backed up and Kagome stepped out into the hall, a sea of faces looked towards her on either side, and the teachers followed her out the door, three of them having new metal rods. "Look this may sound crazy but outside are a bunch of Zombies, now we can't stay here and I want to know what everyone wants to do."

Silence met her declaration, shock clear on all the faces she could see, and sure enough the first person started laughing, thinking she was having them on, and soon everyone was laughing, Kagome let them they would have to face reality soon. When it stopped she spoke again, "Seriously Zombies, we can't stay because the front doors to the hotel are glass and I'm pretty sure everyone down stairs has already fled, we should do the same, we need to get out of the city, or at least out of here."

Kagome looked over the students again, she only saw one person who seemed to believe her, Hitoshi. He was a friend, probably her only friend, and they didn't really hang out, or even do anything outside of school, but they were friends. She was probably his only friend too, but the reason they were friends was they were the real history buffs, sure there was seven others with history majors, but the two of them loved history, the other seven needed it to move on to another job or something, Kagome wasn't clear on what, but none of the others loved history for history the way they did.

"No fucking way, there are not Zombies outside Higurashi." Watanabe disagreed.

"Mind your..." Yamamota started before Kagome cut him off, "Whatever Wantanabe, if you don't believe me, I ask you and any other doubter to look out the windows towards the front of the hotel."

He tried to shrug her off, but she just stared at him, it lasted only a minute or two but it had everyone else shifting nervously, finally her stare made him twitch and he growled out fine, and went to a room and looked out the window. The rest of the crowd stared at her or after him, but at his sudden swearing most the crowd jumped, especially when he came tearing out of the room face white. "Believe me now?" she asked, only a little sarcastic.

He nodded his head in two fast jerky bobs, several of the crowd cried out disbelievingly and Kagome challenged them the same way, "Shut up and go look out a window! The rest of you, get dressed, find a weapon and if any you have some ideas of how to get out of the city come talk to me!"

Most of the students rushed up and down the halls, some to grab clothes and even more to look out the windows. Kagome just sighed, while the teachers and Hitoshi rushed up to her talking. After mixed up babbled, Kagome cut them all off, "Give me a sec, Okay. Hitoshi what do you want?"

He blinked behind her glasses, "What's your plan?"

Kagome shrugged, "Arm everyone, get out of the hotel, find a bus or some cars, and drive out best we can. After we get as far as we can get out and walk the rest the way out."

He stared some more but it was the teachers who yelled next, notably Suzuki, and her husband. "Quiet!" Kagome yelled, "Seriously one at a time."

Suzuki started first, "What the hell kind of plan is that? Seriously you'll get us all killed! We should wait here for rescue!" her husband and one other teacher nodded hard. The rest looked uncertain, Kagome snorted, "Serious were you not listening? We can't stay here because A there are way too many doors and windows to guard. B we don't have near enough weapons that can be used in close quarters. C our food won't last long. D haven't you watched any Zombie Movies? Seriously, most likely the Military will be too busy trying to contain it, if it isn't else where, to worry about people trapped with the Zombies."

Everyone still in the hall stared at her, hurt, confused, scared, worried, all the emotions Kagome didn't want to deal with. Kagome decided to make her point, "Look at this." she swung her rod into the wall once, twice, three times. Ruining the plaster and bending the rod, She shook it in Suzuki's face, "This lasts maybe three hits, there are a lot more Zombies then we have **rods** and **people**, so staying put where they can come and find us, stopping us from getting better weapons and more food, is a really bad idea."

Yamamota nodded slowly looking down at his rod, with new eyes. Kagome eyed the others, two looked terrified and Kagome rolled her eyes, if they came with her, she wouldn't be able to rely on them, they could freeze or run away screaming at any moment. "Look I get it, but staying will kill us all."

Suzuki's husband spoke, "That may be, but what reason do we have to listen to you? Why should you make the decisions? Your just a student, we're older then you, so you should listen."

Kagome rolled her eyes, "That fine, whatever. I will listen to whoever I think won't get me killed and at this point the only person I trust with that goal is myself. No I wouldn't throw others under the tires to live but I won't make crappy decisions just because I'm scared."

Suzuki herself spoke next, "Yeah right I bet the moment we get outside your the first to panic. You'll start screaming and crying and you'll get eaten."

Kagome gave her a dead stare, the one that scared people into letting go of her hands in the feudal era, or letting her go after they had kidnapped her. Suzuki shivered under the stare but one of the other teachers took up the theme.

"Yeah what do you know about fighting or tactics, or anything? Your twenty-one, you're too young to be trusted with people's lives." then the man added a satisfied bob of the head like she would give in to his wisdom.

What she did instead was snort, "You can feel that way, and do whatever the hell you think will get you out alive but I will lead anyone will to listen to me and work as a team no matter who else is there." Kagome looked around meeting people's eyes, whoever had finished gearing up and had come to listen to them argue. "But first I'm going to do what I can for Kichida." She met the teachers eyes and then strolled in to the room, Kichida still was laying on the bed, but she was more focused. "I'm going to be okay right?"

Kagome nodded, "I think so, I'll at least do my best."

"Speaking of which, what gives you the right to act as a doctor to her?" Suzuki demanded.

Frustration bubbled up in her, "Seriously! Shut up! I don't care you don't trust me, but why the hell should I listen to you? Have you killed before? Hun? Have you been a solider? Have you ever given someone stitches? Have you ever been up to your elbows in blood? Have you **ever **treated someone for poison? Because if you haven't done any of those things shut the fuck up and let me help her!"

Seeing the woman's shocked face, she sneered before turning back to Kichida, "Okay so how do you feel?"

The slightly scared face, paled, "I'm fine, well... my leg hurts where I got hurt but it's better now."

Kagome nodded, "Okay I'm going to try something and I'm not sure if it'll help or not, but if it does you'll be able to run better."

Kichida nodded, clearly scared, her dyed hair falling around her face. Kagome nodded back and then knelt next to the bed, pulling the towel off her leg, it was still open but not bleeding, Kagome looked at it a little more looking for infection or discolorations, but didn't see any. She held her hand an inch or so above her leg and concentrated, thinking about the leg without the wound. For a minute nothing seemed to be happening and Kagome heard Suzuki open her mouth, the surge of feeling she felt at the sound brought her powers to the surface, closing the wound over. Silence filled the room.

Kagome opened her eyes letting her power fade away, she met Kichida's awed gaze, and she looked around the room, noting Yamamota and Suzuki were also in the room. She stood, ignored the squeaking sounds from Suzuki, she left the room, heading for hers. She wanted her coat, and some clean underwear, some clean socks, her toothbrush and toothpaste, and her small backpack purse, though it was only small compared to a backpack, it had a decent first aid kit, she didn't like going any where without one, and her wallet with her money, identity card, and some random stuff she was tossing to lighten her load, she had after all learned how to pack light but prepared after a while. And... Some shampoo and soap, one never knew where you might want to wash.

She checked her shoes and pulled on her nice tough leather jacket, she had after all remembered how useful it was to have tough clothes, she had chap stick, in one of the pockets along with some tissues. She patted herself down, and threw her backpack on and ran through a quick check list, she was ready. Except for breaking the mirror here and loading up on a new weapon, this time though after breaking one side of the frame off she broke the other three up and stuck them behind her backpack through the straps, so if the one she was using got too bent she would have another one.

She stepped out into the hall and noticed maybe a third of the sixty plus students along with two teachers, were missing. Suzuki had a crowd at the far end of the hall but there were others drifting around towards her end of the hall, "Hey!" she called out and saw a lot of heads turn towards her.

"Okay first, does anyone have a map?" someone she almost recognized waved one, "Can I see it?" they passed it up to her, she rolled it out on the floor, and knelt to look at it, she ruled out the train station, if the army hadn't blocked it, she was betting it would be swarming. "Okay so we could try going for the boat yard and letting the current take us away, or we could go for the northern edge of the city?"

Hitoshi pushed his way forward, "I think we should go for the boat yard it's a little closer to us then the edge of the city, if nothing else we can..." Commotion from down the hall interrupted him, at first Kagome thought they were fighting then she realized zombies had come up the stairs, Suzuki's group started screaming, and Kagome distantly noted that seemed to drive the Zombies up the wall. She scrambled to her feet holding the map, she spun towards the stairs on their side, she didn't see any Zombies there, but better safe then sorry, "Go to the elevators!" they pushed buttons, and the doors opened, and they all crammed in the two elevators and closed the doors in time for the first of Suzuki's group to reach them, one made it on but the others just hit the doors. They reached the first floor, and for a moment Kagome thought the coast was clear, only then a Zombie threw it's self at her, without thinking she smacked it in the face, knocking it off it's feet. From there she off loaded with most everyone else, while going by she stomped on the Zombie's face, she grimaced hearing the crunch of bone breaking but she stomped again, killing it. Or at least the arms flailing stopped.

She dashed after Hitoshi and Yamamota, the two of them seemed to be leading the charge, but Kagome frowned, running so fast made it easy to get surprised, and not to mention some of the Zombies' heads seemed to turn, not as if they saw them running but as if they heard them running, then someone tripped and cried out and then the Zombies were swarming her. Kagome wanted to stop and help but one of the Zombies had bit her throat, causing a stream of blood to splash from her throat. Kagome looked away only to notice someone else get tackled, she once again noticed his screams seemed to draw them in, so she resolved to be a quiet as possible.

Kagome looked back to just ahead of her again, only she had slowed down, and not realized it, so everyone, the fifteen or so left, were farther ahead then she realized. Zombies had even gotten between her and them and for a moment she wanted to scream 'don't leave me' but she stopped it. They might make it to the boats, but they wouldn't for sure if she got loud. She let them go, hoping Hitoshi and Yamamota would make it, her only two friends from another life survived, just like she had put her life in the feudal era behind, she realized nothing would be the same after this.

She stopped running and accidentally kicked some glass, and on cue the two Zombies nearest her turned and groaned, charging her. She slapped the closer one across the temple, and it stumbled falling, but the metal bent beyond use, but... she eyed the corner where it had been welded to the other pieces, it looked sharp enough, she brought the piece up and let the Zombie run on it, forcing the sharp corner into it's brain. She then kicked the head of the other in, then she looked around, the Zombies here were normal people, some in uniforms from work and others wearing normal clothes, and there was even a police officer. She noted aside from blood stains and some spent shells from guns, it was mostly quiet here and the Zombies seemed to be heading for where she could hear gunfire, once again proving they were drawn to sound.

She slowly and carefully walked down the street, avoiding anything at all that might make her make noise, she started focusing on that so much that she failed to avoid the Zombie stepping out of any alley ahead of her. She knocked into it hard enough to almost fall, but as she panicked sure she was dead, she realized it hadn't seen her and hadn't reacted to being bumped into, for that matter... She looked over at a Zombie that continued to just walk straight into a wall, and it slowly bounced down the alley, getting further and further from her. Their dead, she realized and couldn't see, or feel touch. Okay, she only needed to be quiet and she could slip by like nothing. Just call me mouse, she joked in her head.

Walking down the street, she stopped to pick up some snack and candy bars off the ground from a knocked over stand, and she realized she was completely alone, no Zombies, no survivors, there didn't even seem to be anyone in the buildings. Then she saw the sign for a sports store, open on the third floor of the building, she swallowed and stuffed the candy bars away in her pockets, and took out a second part of the mirror frame and slowly walked into the building, the door to the electronic store on the first floor was torn open, the second floor was an underwear store, the sports was third, children's clothes was the fourth, and as far as she could tell the other two floors were storage or something.

Kagome looked around and it took her a while to find the elevator, but when she did, she realized she didn't want to take it, it might ding making too much noise, not to mention the creepy blood stain implying someone had been hurt in it and dragged out. She looked around still surprised by the erie quiet, sure she knew there had to be fighting and not to far away either, but she couldn't hear it at the moment, and not seeing any Zombies made it a little too easy to forget she had to pay attention or be eaten. She looked some more and found the escalators, they weren't on, and she carefully treaded up the non moving stairs, stepping over the hangers that had been spilled down them.

She reached the top and found only one Zombie, she bit her lip, she didn't want to leave where it could sneak up on her, she stepped slowly over the tipped racks of underwear, and used the spilled underwear from a box to be even quieter, she reached just behind it and then to her horror had to struggle with her conscious. This had been a person less then a day ago, and she was going to sneak up on it and bash it's head in just because. Her slip of concentration made it so she let the last piece from the mirror frame still tucked in the straps of her purse clink on a metal rack, the Zombie spun faster then she thought possible and grabbed her.

She managed to get one of the pieces between her and the Zombie but the sharp point digging into it's chest didn't seem to bother it, it chomped wildly, like a feral animal. Kagome grimaced, fighting the urge to scream as it's congealed blood splashed on her face from it's head wound where he, when he had been alive had been bitten, tearing his eyebrow off. Finally, after an eternity, she got her arm untangled from the rack of clothes and she got in a good swing, cracking it's temple open, it fell, blood shot eyes still, rather then rolling. Kagome gasped, shaking with the adrenaline rush, she checked for any other Zombies, thinking they might have heard the thud, when two or three minutes later nothing had come or moved, she went up the last flight of stairs.

This floor had seen some action, she walked past two and then a three bodies, all of them felled by gun shots, she reached the hunting department and noticed even if she had wanted a gun her options would be slim, but the bows hadn't been touched, she walked over grabbing the middle sized compound hunting bow with a sixty pound draw, a bit different then her traditional bow but it would be more efficient. She looked for arrows, there was twelve sitting in a quiver, but Kagome knew she'd need a lot more then that to get out of the city, she turned a sinking feeling in her gut, and sure enough there were more arrows, but they were all wrapped in loud, noisy crinkling wrappers.

She looked around and well she didn't see any Zombies she didn't trust it to stay that way, with her kneeling on the floor, vulnerable. She looked around, a knife, she needed a knife. Not to mention she should take some with her, she could use it if a Zombie got too close for a bow to work, and not to mention she did know how to catch fish, and she would need something to gut them if she caught them. But she would only need the knife for that if she got out of the city, because it was a two hundred and fifty miles to Tokyo and she didn't think she could take the train. As she was grabbing a knife she noticed a clock, it was only 6:12 p.m. It hadn't even been two hours yet.

If she hadn't fallen down the well, she would swear there was no way so much could have happened in so little time. But time to get on with it, she noticed a nine inch blade that she liked the look of especially since it came with a knife sheath for around the thigh, only one small problem she had no belt. She looked around and went to the small clothes section, sure enough she found a belt she could use, she put it on and attached the knife and then strapped it to her thigh. She grabbed a second for her other thigh, and then grabbed a smaller pocket sized knife, she flipped out the straight blade on it and started carefully cutting the wrapping open. Trying to both minimize noise, and keep an eye on the stairs, every so often she would scan around her, not just the stairs. Soon she had stuffed the quiver as full as she could without risking over filling it, she looked at the measly thirty arrows she had fit and promptly decided to get a second quiver, once she had that unwrapped she went back to unwrapping arrows. Soon she had two full quivers, so she took her backpack back off, accidentally making the last piece of mirror frame clatter on the tile floor. She winced, and hurried up some more, she pulled a quiver over each shoulder and then put her backpack back on, and mentally groaned, this wasn't comfortable at all, the quiver straps pinched, and sat oddly on her back. She bit her lip, odds are they wouldn't get any more comfortable even if she readjusted it, and with that she vowed to at some point take the time to sew them to her bag, so she wouldn't have to use their straps. With that in mind she rushed over to the more simple backpacking or camping area and grabbed two sewing kits, she could use them for what she had in mind and use them for stitches if she had to.

She glanced out the window and was gratified to note there was still no Zombies that she could see, and it was getting dark and she didn't have a water bottle... She turned around and looked over the store again, she hopped a little and felt how heavy her bag was, and realized there was no way she could fit the two small kits in too. She turned to the backpack section, she needed to do some more shopping.

**Six hours ago.**

Ichigo sighed, studying sucked, sure he was close to being half way to becoming a doctor but it didn't mean he had to like pouring over the text books, learning latin, seeing drawings or pictures of what could go wrong with you. Not to mention it made it hard to keep up with friends, not they things had been the same since he'd 'lost' his powers, he knew not having them made it so the rest of the souls in the city weren't his problem, but he'd also thought maybe the others would visit. But no, he hadn't seen Rukia since that day, and he'd been surprised by how much it had hurt, he saved her life, he saved Soul Society and no one cared what he'd given up, sure he hadn't liked his powers but after a while not having them hurt.

Things with his friends in high school had been awkward, he had done the protecting and now he had to be protected, they could see, he couldn't. So it had taken a year of not being close quarters for him and Chad to fix things up, Orihime just kinda drifted in, and Tatsuki just showed up when she did, and that had been when he found out Uryu was dating Orihime.

But none of them knew he had worked up to the point where he could now see spirits, no one knew, except maybe Karin, she got suspicious when he laughed when a ghost was bothering her, but if she asked he just said it was justice. So his life went on, maybe a bit more lonely but it was a life.

A fist pounded on his door, "What?" he called, a bit annoyed, he had finished his shift helping his dad in the clinic, he'd done his chores, what could they want?

"Ichigo Dad needs your help, something is going on and he needs help!" Yuzu shouted.

Ichigo got to his feet, glad he was still in scrubs, but then he wondered what he was needed for, his dad had Cho Chang helping him, not to mention... He glanced at the clock, it read 12:16 p.m. Satou Akihiro should be here already. Ichigo ran down the stairs, stopping outside the door that lead to the clinic that had been expanded from his high school years, once his shoes were on he went in. She run up the hall to the front room to find his dad and Satou wrestling with a guy who was covered in blood, the guy was snapping wildly, eyes rolling and even from far away, clearly blood shot. What made the scene even more erie was the low moans coming from his throat, Ichigo reached the two of them, "What are we suppose to do with him?"

Satou hissed as the man jerked hard almost throwing him from his feet, his dad spoke up through gritted teeth, "Those men," he tossed his head not daring to let go, "brought him in and asked us to run tests on him, problem is he doesn't respond to requests and we can't seem to get him down the hall to strap him to a table. Ichigo nodded as he looked over at the three men, one was clearly American but the other two looked like guys you might see on the streets but for the blood streaked all over them, one even had a bit mark warning him about what might happen if you dropped your guard around the crazy one.

"Okay I'l grab his feet and we can carry him in," he looked to his dad, who nodded. Then he grabbed the thrashing man's feet and started walking down the hall, Ichigo was surprised by the man's strength, he was a rather lightly built man but he seemed to have the strength of a body builder. They reached the first room, and tossed him on the bed. Ichigo pinned the kicking feet down and watched as his father held the man's shoulders down while Satou got the restraints, they only had four sets of them with only ten rooms, they rarely used them so they weren't in the same room all the time.

It took far too long for Satou to get back with the restraints but he did it, just not before Ichigo's grip on one of the guy's feet slipped and that foot landed squarely in his face, probably blacking his eye. His dad laughed after Satou freed him up by pinning the guys chest down, he just growled as Satou and his dad got the hips and then the thighs and ankles, "Shut up."

Ichigo finally got to let go and went to a mirror to check his eye, it may have felt like his eye but it really was just his cheek bone, but it was turning colors at the moment it was red, but the edge of it was bright blue. "Crap," he shook his head and followed Satou out into the main room where the three were still.

"Okay first of all where did you find him?" Satou asked.

"Okay..." the guy seemed to hesitate and one of the others took over, more to the point the American. "Look dude, I don't why the news isn't turned on, but there are some all over the city, they seemed to come from the hills over by Yumisawa, but it's slowly spread across the city. We just want to know wether he really is a Zombie like he looks like or is he still alive and can be saved."

Satou's jaw dropped, and Ichigo found he wanted to laugh, really laugh, hard gut wrenching laughs, but he knew they weren't joking. He didn't quite believe the guy was dead, but mad? Or even infected with something like rabies but for humans? Yeah he could buy that. A little too easily for his own comfort but when you've gone to 'heaven', who are you to throw doubt on other theories? The three all shifted uncomfortably, Ichigo nodded slowly, "Okay I'm going to tell dad..."

He walked down the hall to find his dad staring blankly at the guy on the bed, who seemed to be a lot quieter, till he opened the door, then he started struggling. "Dad?" the guy started growling and his dad slowly turned to him, "Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"This man has no pulse, his eyes don't react, and he seems to be rotting slowly, note the discolorations around the wounds."

Ichigo couldn't help but stare shocked for a moment, hearing it was one thing but having it confirmed... "Right... Um.. My god.. Dad go Soul Reaper and see if cutting him with your Zanpakuto does anything, then... I don't know... the guys said this was all over the city." Then he started breathing hard, the idea of Zombies taking over the city, was not only ridiculous, but real, it was happening now. He watched his dad's body fall to the floor, and he turned to watch and see if the... guy's body reacted at all or even died. After a moment he saw his dad stab him in the chest and the body jerked like something had hit it, and then at his gasp it's head whipped towards him growling.

Ichigo stared blankly at the body strapped to the gurney and thought about what the hell they were going to do? Soul attacks don't do anything, not that he had any, and he only vaguely knew how to shoot a gun, and on top of that they didn't own any... What the fucking hell were they going to do during a Zombie attack? He ran a hand though his hair, barely noting his dad leaving the room, to do what he wasn't sure. He walked out of the room intending to go tell the girls to gather food and lock all the doors to the house but the one through the clinic, then he would try to find any random weapons they all could use. But his dad was on the phone and it sounded like he was talking to Ishida's father, head of the hospital.

"...Your sure?" silence indicating his dad was listening, "Right I hope you can get out quickly, go to Urahara's and see if he can help, I'll stay here at the clinic and you can send your son here. Hopefully Urahara will be able to help and we won't have to stay long, but be warned the only way in will be through the windows." Silence and then "You take care, and for god's sake don't get bit."

Ichigo nodded to his dad heading back towards the house when the last part caught up to him, "Don't get bit?"

"Yeah, Ryuken said thats how it spreads."

Ichigo turned towards the waiting room, "Shit!" he ran back down the hallway in time to see Satou get bit, as the most blood covered guy bit into the arm that had held him down or tried to push him away. Ichigo wasn't sure which but knew it could have been either, Satou screamed, and it belated accord that running towards a Zombie with no weapon was a bad, bad idea. Just as he turned looking for a weapon, a metal baseball bat splattered the Zombie's head open, Ichigo followed the bat up to a muscled and tanned arm, with a tattoo. "Chad."

The shaggy head nodded and Ichigo caught sight of the mournful expression on his face, Chad took no delight in killing anything, at all, he would to protect but he didn't like the necessary fact of he had to. "Thanks, you saved the rest of us, any bites?"

The shaggy head moved side to side in a no motion.

"Great, please go back to the house and help my sisters board up the windows and doors on the first floor, leave the top floor alone, Ishida might join us, and I bet he'll bring Orihime and anyone else he knows." Chad nodded and set off for the house, after shaking the blood off the bat, Ichigo let him go and turned to Satou who was sitting on the floor holding his arm stunned. The other two men had gotten away unscathed, but one had left the clinic running for it, but the American had stayed, even going so far as to grab a lamp, Chad had just been faster. Surprise surprise. "What's your name?"

"Will Trenton."

Ichigo blinked confused before he got it, Americans had trouble remembering to switch their last name to first and their first to last. "I don't know what to do Trenton-san, I want to thank you for warning us before the Zombies reached us, but I kinda liked not knowing."

Will laughed, his spiked blond hair bobbing, "I get that dude, I do. Who would have ever thought the Zombies apocalypse would really happen? And why now? Why couldn't it wait a week so I could be back in the states with my family?" Shaking his head in a way Ichigo realized was him fighting with emotions, Trenton calmed himself. "Right, excuse my little break down, and call me Will really it's the end of normality so don't be so stiff."

Ichigo swallowed, "Right Will... So what do you want to do? I think we're going to hide out here, and... well we're hiding out here and I think thats as far as the plan has gotten."

"Is that an invite to stay?"

Ichigo nodded, "Yeah I think so."

Will seemed to consider it, obviously weighing pros and cons. After a good five or so minutes the man nodded, "I think I will stay but first I think you, me and your big friend need to go shopping."

Ichigo stared not understanding what the American meant.

"Sorry, sorry, got too American on you. I mean we should go get as much food, bottled water and some weapons for all of us, meaning we need to go to a super store."

Ichigo thought over it and realized that Will was right, that had maybe enough food for a week or so, and that was only for four people, and they were looking at getting a lot more then that. "Okay, I think your right, but I need to talk to my dad, and get Chad, and then we'll go so give me ten or so minutes."

Will nodded, and before Ichigo had done more then turn around he added, "As long as you don't mind me scavenging some weapons, incase we're attacked on the way to and from?"

Ichigo just nodded before running into the house to find Chad and talk to his dad, he found his dad first. "Dad me, Will and Chad are going to get food, weapons, and anything and anyone we find, you, Yuzu and Karin need to continue boarding the house up 'kay?"

"Yep, count on us son!"

Ichigo continued on through the house looking for Chad, rolling his eyes at his dad's lame answer, he found him boarding up the bathroom window on the ground floor. "Yo Chad, me and the guy from the waiting room are going to go get food and some more weapons, willing to come?" he only asked to make sure he wasn't forcing him to go out again, besides he knew Chad wouldn't let him go alone with a guy he had just met, they didn't work like that.

"Sure," Chad went back to finishing nailing the window up, before he hopped off the edge of the tub and nodded, indicating he was ready to go. Ichigo looked around for a moment, "How about you get your baseball bat and let me get something before we go?"

"Okay," Chad went out and found Karin and Isshin working on blocking the front door with the table because it was the biggest piece of wood they had, he handed the hammer to Karin so she could work on her own and then he went over to the wall where his bat stood, propped up on the wall, he grabbed it and turned back to him. Ichigo looked around the house, and thought about some knives and realized he didn't think he could use them well enough that close to Zombies to avoid getting bit, he was about to slip out side to the ambulance garage but his dad stopped him, "Ichigo I pulled this out for you."

Ichigo looked to his dad, who had stepped away from the door the table already half nailed up, but in his hand was a crow bar. "Thanks dad." He took it giving it a small swing, getting a feel for the weight of the.. weapon, it was a new use... well maybe not for some, he added thinking of a murder case he read about two years ago but a new use for him. Ichigo nodded to Chad and then they both went back out to the clinic, Will was standing by the door watching the mostly empty streets, in his hand was an IV pole that had, had legs with wheels snapped off, Ichigo nodded to him and just before they went out in to the street it hit Ichigo, "Wait we need something to carry what we grab, because pushing a shopping cart won't work and trying to fight while holding stuff would be counter productive."

The other two stopped and looked at him, and the Will laughed a little, "Your right we were getting a little a head of ourselves."

Ichigo turned around and went into the house, where he went to his room where he dumped out his backpack, and threw it over his shoulders. Then he went to the closet where the picnic bag was stored. He knew it would be awkward because you would have to hold it with a hand, but if nothing else they could fill the bag with cans and use it as a secondary weapon. He looked around some more but couldn't find anything, then he remembered the laundry room bag. A sturdy bag, it could be held one handed, and it was big. He rushed back and grabbed it, before going into the main room where Chad and Will were waiting. "Hey I have three things so we can go now."

They nodded before each taking one, leaving him with the Laundry bag, Will had the backpack and and Chad took the picnic bag. They left hurrying towards the first super store near them, it looked almost empty, not that there wasn't people in there just that there wasn't anything in there they wanted. They went straight on past, they didn't want to fight over scraps, the next looked better, the problem was the street was eerily silent, no screams, no groans, nothing. They all agreed, fast as they could in, out. Ichigo was to grab any weapons, Chad canned goods, Will dry stuff like noddles. Ichigo rushed to the special isle, it was all summer sports and outdoors stuff. He managed to find four baseball bats, the down side? They were wood and he wasn't sure how that would hold up against skulls, it might hold out for a while, but he wasn't sure it would be able to take the strain of more then ten or twelve skull splitting hits. He looked around but couldn't find anything other then kitchen knifes, he went a head and grabbed a dozen or so, figuring they could be back up weapons. He run back towards the other side of the store where the food was. The first person he reached was Will, he went over thinking he could help him finish up, but Will was actually mostly done, till Ichigo pointed out the other pocket in the backpack, they then stuffed it full of pocky, and crackers, having already mostly emptied the instant ramen.

Will and him had just finished zipping the pockets shut when they heard the first groan, Ichigo looked up and ten feet away stood a woman. Well she was clearly a zombie, but she had been a woman and one Ichigo had seen before, he didn't know her name, but every Wednesday when he'd been in high school he would see her on the way home. He froze, Will finished pulling the bag on and bent down to pick his pole up but it clinked, at the sound the woman howled and threw herself at them, she clearly was trying to run at them but it only reached the speeds of a fast walk. Will grabbed his pole and the yanked on his arm, "Move it!" he hissed.

Ichigo snapped out of it and took off running up the isle ready to run across the store to look for Chad, they reached the end of the isle when suddenly one was right in his face for a split second his mind blanked and then it snapped in to action, but Will hadn't froze at all, his pole caught it across the temple and slammed it into the shelves and he would have worried about it getting up again but for the fact he had seen blood splatter in a way telling him Will's blow had cracked it's skull and hitting the shelves meant it's brains was now leaking out over the floor. "Thanks," he said as they continued running.

"Any time, 'cause I bet you'll pay me back."

Ichigo nodded and they had just passed five isles from the one they had been on when Ichigo saw Chad, his bag was full and even bulging, the problem was there was four Zombies surrounding him. Ichigo looked to Will, who met his gaze and Ichigo would have grinned but for the grimness of their reality, they had a plan. They charged down the isle, Will holding his pole high and Ichigo held his crow bar low, they charged straight past Chad catching both the other boy and the Zombies off guard. Ichigo took the tallest one of the four, hitting it in the jaw, smacking it off into the middle shelf. Will took the one nearest Chad, stabbing it in the head, he then in a smooth motion ripped it from the Zombie's skull and smacked the third in the back of the head throwing it to the ground. Chad took the last one, and together they fled, only to find themselves out in the street with a dozen or so new Zombies.

Without so much as looking at each other, they took off running for the clinic. Ichigo did his best to keep an eye on the other two, but soon he was just doing good to knock down, possible kill all Zombies in arm's length, he had no wish to be bitten. Before he knew it he, Chad and Will were in an area with only a Zombie, and it seemed to be going for a small store, so they ran for another block before stopping to catch their breath, that was when Ichigo realized they had gone away from the clinic, "Wait why are we over here?"

Chad looked over at him from bent over breathing between his knees, "When.. we should have... gone straight... there was a hoard... it was too crowded, so we turned."

Ichigo bent back down, only now noticing the sore spot from where the bats had hit his back, "Right."

Will spoke up from where he was leaning against a wall, "Yeah you recovered fast from that first freeze. I had been worried about you."

Chad glanced at him surprised, Ichigo acknowledged his first hesitation, "Yeah it's been a while since I've had to fight for life or death." Chad nodded and Will looked between the two of them able to tell there was a story behind it. Ichigo straightened ready to go on, "We need to get going or we'll be completely cut off and I'm not okay with that."

The other two nodded and they had gone five steps when Will noticed the shop a little way up, a pawn shop to be exact. "Wait we need to stop there, it'll have some guns and maybe some better knifes, and we need the weapons."

Ichigo frowned, he wanted to keep going but Will was right it wouldn't do them any good to get home only to be over whelmed because they couldn't fight back properly. He looked to Chad and with that they broke a hole in the glass to get inside, Will went to the guns and quickly grabbed one and began checking it over, before declaring it in perfect condition. He loaded it, and Ichigo grabbed all the amnion in the store before grabbing the four hand guns, and the other three bigger ones, he couldn't tell them apart. Chad came back with an arm full of swords and other big knives that he dumped in Ichigo's bag before going back and coming back with a large jagged knife, Ichigo looked at it and then his friend and decided if Chad had to have a knife it was going to be bad ass and scary just like Chad came across. Ichigo shut the bag as best as he could, but it was hard and probably weighted a good fifty -five or so pounds, so it was good they were only four blocks from the back of the house and then all they had to do was hop the fence and knock.

Then they stepped out and were once again fighting, Ichigo caught one in the back of the neck, he was pretty sure he severed the spine because it wasn't dead, and he knew because even as he followed in Will and Chad's wake the Zombie was doing it's best to scream, it was a sound a lot higher then the ones they seemed to make normally, and it was distracting the others, they were turning to look at the sound, clearing the way for them. The three of them broke into an area that seemed a lot clearer, or at least they weren't with in arms reach almost everywhere, they just cut it close to a Zombie here and there. Ichigo was still doing his best to hit the ones nearest him, if nothing else trying to clear the way for others, besides the more he killed now, in theory the less later. Before he knew it they were on the street who's yards bordered his, so he took the lead, "This way!"

He cut though a yard knowing the next two didn't have a fence and the one that did you would have to vault twice anyway, he dropped his bag over the wall then grabbed the edge and pulled himself up and then dropped over. He picked up his bag and ran to the back fence, he looked back to see Chad hulling Will over, the two picked up their bags and followed him over the last fence.

Ichigo looked around his yard, from the back the house looked pretty secure, windows blocked or board over, Ichigo looked back hearing the bags hit the ground, Chad's clinking. Will flopped over before falling on his shoulder, he groaned, before rolling to his feet as Chad followed with more grace, the two grabbed their bags, and joined Ichigo, he knew they were going to block the back door so he didn't try knocking, he crept around the side of the building thinking there might be Zombies on the other side. Sadly he was right, about a dozen were standing around seeming to have no direction in which to go, so they stood there blocking their way into the clinic which they had to go through to get to the last open door into the Kurosaki household. Ichigo looked over his shoulder at the other two, he pointed back the way they came, the two walked back, till Ichigo felt safe speaking in a whisper. "Okay we have at least a dozen Zombies to kill to get in the house, now Chad how is your Reiatsu control?"

Chad shook his head, Ichigo bit his lip, "Crap." He exhaled, "Right so..." he searched for an idea that wouldn't lead to them being killed. He looked to Will and the gun, "Do you know how to shoot that?"

Will gave him a 'are you stupid look?', "I wouldn't take it and load it if I didn't, because if I didn't odds are I would have already shot myself."

Ichigo nodded, "Needed to check. So your an actuate shot right?"

Will rolled his eyes, "Once again I wouldn't try to use a weapon if I didn't think I could use it properly."

"Okay heres the plan, me and Chad will go out first and clear the way a bit, then you come out and start shooting the ones a little further away, then we edge sideways to the door and go inside, and run to the door. So ready?"

The other two looked at each other and then back at him, Chad shrugged and Will nodded but not before he added a "Yes Sir."

Ichigo crept around the side and when Chad stood at his side he counted down with his fingers, before charging out. Ichigo slammed his crowbar deep into the back of the head of the Zombie closest to him. He flinched feeling the spay of old blood and brain matter, then as quick as he could he turned and swung out, catching the next one behind the ear, the Zombies were turning now, aware of them. The groans had started up again, and Ichigo was afraid more would come hearing the sounds of the fight, for a moment he regretted telling Will to use the gun, but at the same time that was the only way they would clear a path to the door. Speaking of which, Will got off his first shot taking one across the street down, Ichigo spun catching another one across the nose, it fell but he knew he had to get it with another hit, so he just smashed the end of the crowbar into it's forehead.

He glanced up noticing from a distance that Will had shot another five Zombies, Chad was doing well have taken four... five down, he was the slowest one, but Will had a gun and as far as he could tell Chad was using some of his powers to speed himself up. But it didn't seem quiet enough, more were spilling from the down a ways from the houses, and even two came from the clinic, Ichigo spun lashing out with the crowbar, it caught the Zombie in the ear and it slowly fell eyes blood shot and almost blind in death, and then just as fast, he was rushing in the door Chad was holding open for him.

He got four steps in before a really slow Zombie came from in the clinic, almost seeming to just pop up, he dispatched it with a quick blow to the face, grossly close to the eye, popping it as he pulled the crowbar out, but not before he noted why it was so slow, before it died something had broken it's ankle.

He heard the door shut and continued to walk quickly down the hall, knowing Chad and Will were behind him, as he passed the rooms, he noted they seemed have a fair number of Zombies trapped in the rooms, they couldn't get out because the doors had to be pulled on and couldn't be pushed open. He reached the end of the hall and knocked on the door, he hurriedly glanced back, both Chad and Will close to his back and were watching the front door of the clinic, Ichigo noticed despite them having killed like eighteen Zombies the street had quickly fill up again, and he was pretty sure they were getting closer to the door. He knocked again a little harder this time, and it opened under his hand he and the other two spilled into the room where they found not only the Kurosakis, they found Ishida, Orihime and five others they didn't know along with their next door neighbor. All of whom had something pointed at them effective or not.

Ichigo raised his hand noting how jumpy the new guys were, "Hey dad I don't think any of us got bit..." Isshin stepped forward and talked to the new guys "This is my son and his friends, like I told you, their back."

"So make sure they weren't bit!"

Ichigo eyed the man, he had a nervous twitch and was the only one with a gun in the room aside from Will, he didn't want this guy with a gun, he was just as likely to shoot friend as foo. Ichigo dropped the crowbar and held his hands out and did a slow spin, showing while he was splattered with blood, he had no tears or holes in his clothes from which blood was coming from. The man nodded and Ichigo stepped out of the half circle and Chad did the same, proving he was even more blood splattered but he too didn't seem hurt. Then it was Will's turn, he slowly took off the gun setting it gently on the ground before spinning, but he had a large blood stain on his shoulder, no clear bite but a big blood stain.

Ichigo noticed the twitch in the guy's hand and spoke up, "Hey he hasn't been bit, thats from him helping someone who had been bitten but only later turned and was killed."

The man meant his gaze before slowly nodding, and lowering the gun. Ichigo released a pent up breath, "Okay we have food and weapons so lets get everyone better equipped." Everyone pushed forward but Ichigo pulled the bag back realizing he wanted to do something first. "Wait! Wait."

Everyone stopped and stared at him, "Sorry but as it was our asses on the line I want to claim some rights, first let me arm my sisters and don't worry good stuff will still be left."

Everyone stared, before looking at the two younger girls before backing off at least a bit, Isshin gave him a proud smile, glad he was looking out for them. They came forward as the others backed off, Ichigo knelt, and began emptying the bag, and as he did so he was surprised by how much he was carrying, and then as he bent over to pull the last bit of ammo out, his back screamed at him reminding him of the bruise. He bit his lip but finished what he was doing, once he had it all spread out he grabbed four knives, plus some bigger knife he didn't know what it was.

Will gasped, and then smiled a little sheepishly, as everyone whipped around. "Sorry I'm a bit of a history buff and I can't help but wonder how someone in Japan got a hold of a Trench Knife."

Ichigo picked up the big knife that was sheathed and pulled it out, and Will grinned and came closer, "Thats a Trench Spike knife, and I bet it'll work great against a Zombie."

Ichigo nodded and was about to hand it over to Karin when the door behind them banged as something pounded on it They all jumped and Ichigo had to bite back a groan as that movement worked his sore back, they stared at the door, and after a half second it shuddered again. Ichigo looked at the others, "There is no way thats a person, the way in was blocked almost as soon as we reached the door of the clinic, besides if it were..." it banged again, and the door frame showed the strain. "We need to close it up."

Ichigo looked around almost scrambling for something and that was when he noticed almost all the furniture that would work was already used, then he realized the big book shelf hadn't been used, with all the books on it, it had to weigh at least ninety or so pounds, so he ran for it, "Come on!" he called Chad followed, Will and one of the others close behind, they managed to scoot it across the floor and move it front of the door just before the door gave. Once they had it placed they all stood around panting and watched, looking for any sigh it might give, and after a few shudders the Zombie seemed to give up.

Ichigo turned back to the weapons, they had been scattered a bit but they were all still there, he knelt back down and grabbed the trench knife-spike thing, it was one of three knives that came in a sheath and he was going to give all of them to his sisters, they had lots of other knives but you would have to make make-shift sheaths. "Karin take this one and take to wearing a belt at all times."

She took it, but not before she said something smartalic, "Your telling me to wear a belt in the shower?"

Ichigo scowled, partly annoyed she couldn't be serious, but he also knew why she said it, "No I'm saying have it in arms reach at all times."

She nodded and took the other small knife he gave her, tucking it in her pocket. Ichigo turned to Yuzu, of the two she seemed to be the one most aware of the situation, he thought that because she was afraid. He handed her the other two sheathed knives and then handed her a third, "Yuzu I bet you can make a sheath for that yourself." She took the handle from him and nodded, before hugging him, almost crying in his ear, "I'm glad you made it back safe."

He held her ignoring the pull on his back, he slowly rubbed her back and she quickly let go of him, wiping her eyes. He patted her shoulder and then spoke to the rest the room, "Look we can do this without fighting, first of all if you can't fire a gun don't bother grabbing one because you won't be able to learn to fire in the house. Those that can use a gun please go for those first and then take a knife or two as a back up. And least each take one at a time and after everyone has..." Ichigo did a quick count, "Four, then we can divide the rest up. Okay?"

Looking around meeting everyone's faces the five strangers agreed, and everyone else nodded, the twins backed up and and the twelve left bent over the weapons and each grabbed one, then two, then three and four. Ichigo took knifes, that plus his crowbar and he felt pretty well armed, maybe not as confident as he had been with Zangetsu as a partner but comfortable. Isshin took a bat and then knives, Chad had his metal bat and the machete he had stuck through his belt at the store so Ichigo wasn't surprised when his friend only took the smallest three knives plus a medium one, all of them looked absolutely tiny in his hands, but they could still kill a Zombie. Will took three knives and one of the smaller hand guns, so them, plus his pole and bigger gun, he was ready to kill Zombies. The man with the shaky hand and a gun, grabbed two bigger guns and one small hand gun, and a knife, Ichigo was pretty sure he only took the knife because apparently their neighbor knew how to shoot a gun. Because she took two hand guns, one big gun and a knife, plus the knife she already had, she looked armed. Ishida took four knives, but the one that amused Ichigo was the fact his biggest and therefor primary weapon was a sword, not a proper one, but long enough it counted as one. Orihime reluctantly took four small knives, all six inches or shorter, if he hadn't known how she hates fighting he would have wondered how she would protect herself with them.

Ichigo looked at what was left, three baseball bats, six knives, all kitchen, the survival knives and bigger daggers were among the first to be grabbed, "Okay I'm giving my sisters each two more knives okay?"

The group nodded, the ones with guns checking them over, making sure they wouldn't jam, Ichigo looked at the guns and realized two of them seemed to be the same type or caliber and the fact it was the twitchy guy and Mrs. Ebina, he didn't think they could just trade guns, but he could try. "Mrs. Ebina you and him," he pointed to the guy, "Have the same gun and we only have so many bullets, so would you give him your other type of gun and take his, so you can just take all of that ammo?"

She looked up and silently sneered at the man sitting across the room, the said man wasn't looking very friendly either, she curled her lip but offered, "Would you be okay with that so we don't have to split bullets?"

The man stared at her insolently, but agreed, she passed him the gun and he passed her his gun, then Chad passed her all the ammo for the pistols, and that was when Will started talking. "You know that the Browning despite being so popular a gun, it was originally only in production for eight to nine years?"

Ichigo stared at him with Chad and the other four strange men, Will grinned, "No? Well most any model you can find commonly in use is one that is a remake, like a BDM."

Ichigo struggled to piece together what Will meant, "So Mrs. Edina's two smaller guns are Browning BDMs?"

Will nodded and picked up his own gun, "This here is a Wildey Pistol, an expensive fun gun mostly used for hunting and sports, like competitions. The barrel can be any where from five inches long to eighteen, this one is a nice eight, long and heavy enough to give a good balance but not bulky enough to be a pain. Now his gun," Will gestured towards the twitchy guy who so far had not endeared himself to anyone. "Is a sub-compact Springfield, he'll have nine shots without reloading with the .40 bullets we have. It's name isn't even really Springfield it's name was HS2000 but when imported in to the states we kinda renamed it, but it is still known in places as HS2000."

The door rattled, and everyone paused and looked at it, after it rattled two more times everyone went back to what they were doing, because if it got in, it wouldn't be any time soon. Will started up again, "My bigger gun is a Kel-tec SU 16B, semiautomatic with what I have, it fires ten rounds, before I have to reload. His," he jerked his head towards the 'gun guy' as Ichigo was inclined to call him, "Has a Ar-7 and a M-16; the M-16 is a good gun, well used by the American Military, many serious hunters have one in American because if you know how to use it you can easily take down a bear, much less a deer or Elk. The Ar-7 is one I know how to use a bit better, as it is my eldest bother's preferred gun. Good for small game, and okay for self defense, it's just the caliber is a smaller one, only a .22."

"Mrs. Ebina's bigger gun is a High Point 995 with ATI stock, good gun again, used for most anything, but it's weakness is that it's ungainly, I haven't ever used it but a friend has one, he takes it with him with he goes hunting."

Silence filled the room and Ichigo quickly realized why Will had been talking, to fight the tension of a bunch of strangers trapped in a house surrounded by Zombies. It felt surreal but very scary and Ichigo realized they needed to keep together and calm because other wise it was quite likely they would all go crazy and start killing each other off without the Zombies helping. "Right," Ichigo looked around the room, he knew the names a bit more then bare facts of more then half the room, but a fair number were all alone. "Since we're here stuck together and we need to be able to trust one another how about we start with names and some background facts. I'll even start," Most in the room nodded, Ishida was the only one who looked really annoyed by it and even he wasn't saying anything, but the 'gun guy'... Ichigo wasn't sure what it was other then gut instinct that said he was not to be trusted, but it was there. "So I'm Ichigo Kurosaki and I'm twenty-three, I live here, have all my life, and I'm... or was studying to be a ER doctor."

Ichigo looked around waiting for someone else to start as they weren't exactly in a circle, Isshin took up the challenge, "I'm Isshin Kurosaki and I am a doctor, Ichigo is my eldest son, Karin and Yuzu are his younger sisters and my two daughters, my wife died many years ago."

Silence filled the room for a minute before Orihime spoke up, "I'm... I'm Orihime Inoue, I'm also twenty-three and I'm an orphan, and dating Uryu."

With that Ishida spoke next, annoyed or not, "I am Uryu Ishida, I turn twenty-four in a week my father owns the hospital, and as already said me and Orihime are dating."

Chad spoke next, "I am Yasutora Sado, my friends call me Chad."

Everyone stared waiting for him to say more, after close to two minutes everyone got that he was done, and wouldn't volunteer more. After some shifty glances Will spoke next, "I'm Will Trenton, I was only suppose to be here for another three days before flying home to the United States, where I live in South Dakota, when I was younger I lived in Montana, we moved to South Dakota when I was fifteen. I'm thirty-three, and was here to broker a business deal."

Everyone nodded and kinda looked around the room waiting for someone else to start, finally one of the strangers started, "I'm Shin Fujimoto, I live here in Karakura in the Kitakawase district I own a small grocery store there, it was pretty much the second place to see _them, _so I have been running since probably eight or so this morning, I stopped for a time with a police blockade but when it was over whelmed, me and anyone left fled. I am thirty-nine almost forty."

While he talked Ichigo looked him over and realized he was a normal sort of guy, jeans, green t-shirt splattered with blood, small glasses, black hair, brown eyes. Normal and terrified. After he finished everyone went back to staring around waiting for the next to speak, Karin started. "I am Karin Kurosaki, nineteen years old, I am twin to Yuzu and I like soccer. Yuzu you next."

Yuzu swallowed, her pale face looking around the room and Ichigo felt his heart clench, he had done what he did at fifteen to try to keep her and all his friends from feeling this sort of fear, in the long run he had failed. "I am Yuzu Kurosaki, I also being a twin, am nineteen, I cook and clean house normally."

Silence came back but this time it was tainted with audible sounds from outside the window, grunting and small low groans, everyone took care not to look fearing what they might see between cracks in the boards.

The next one to start talking was the man who all things considered was the best dressed, he had been in a nice white silk shirt, with a blue, black, and violet striped tie, with a smart charcoal gray suit, probably worth at least two hundred dollars and tailored, only problem was it had blood splatters. "I am Masao Choshi and I was a lawyer and on my way to work when I was directed off the street and away from the turn I wanted and told to turn around and go home. I didn't listen, and got out of my car, I can't help but wonder what would have become of me if I hadn't got out of the car..."

The man drifted off in thought, it took him a minute or so to pull himself out of it, but he started talking again. "I was arguing with a police man who in all honesty likely didn't know more at the time then he told me, only that the Military wanted to block off that section of the city, he was... Bitten while we were talking. I didn't even see the Zombie coming up from behind, I was worried about finishing the research for a case I was going to go to court in two days for. But after he was bit the Zombie pulled him down and tore out his throat eating it, that was when I realized that down the street there was fighting, but no gun fire, I didn't understand why they weren't shooting. Then they started shooting and I ran, and now I realize what happened but at the time I was confused, I ran down a side street rather then to my car or even back the way I had driven, so I was surrounded by fighting for close to an hour before I managed to get turned around and out towards the safe zone as they were calling it on the street. Once I got out I went home and found my wife had left, running for the far edge of the city to get out and go to her sister's, she had left me a note since she couldn't reach my cell phone that I had left in the car. I think she made it out, but I didn't, couldn't because my car was way back, abandoned to the Zombies."

Ichigo inhaled sharply realizing he had barely been breathing, why hadn't the news made it clear how bad things were? The only mention he had seen on the eight o'clock news was that the rioters were still on that side of the city.

Silence filled the house, but outside if anything, had gotten louder.

"How old are you?" Mrs. Edina asked.

Masao looked at her before admitting, "Fifty-one."

She nodded and then went next, "I am Aki Edina I am married but my husband is in China for business, we have never had any children and I live right next door to the Kurosaki's, I am forty-two."

She looked around at the last four expectantly, the youngest looking guy gave in, "I'm Jun Tsuda I'm... I was visiting my maternal Aunt in a nursing home, I normally live in Hiroshima, I'm twenty-four, I work for my father in his clothes store."

The next guy just rolled his eyes and started talking, "I'm Kenji Ueda, I work at a pizza shop, I am thirty-one."

Ichigo figured he was some dead ender, the big gut and sloppy jeans and stain tee said as much. The other guy though... the younger one, he was likely lying. About what Ichigo didn't know, he just had a feeling he was.

The guy with twitchy hands, who he taken to calling the gun guy spoke next. As he spoke he looked around, making his blue hair flap oddly, maybe that was why he didn't like him, he had blue hair.

"I'm Shuji Yamazaki, I live here and I sell stuff door to door, I am twenty-six."

Silence once again reigned.

Ichigo looked to the clock, it read 3:27 it had been coming up on four and half hours since he had first found out about Zombies. Ridiculous, so much in such a short time. "Right Mrs. Edina, Orihime you guys will have to share with Yuzu and Karin. Me and dad will have to share rooms with the rest the guys, we'll need to come up with some sort of plan for keeping watch, and I think we should turn on the TV and see if there is any real news on it yet."

No one offered a complaint, so he got to his feet and grabbed the spares, he moved them to a corner where no one would trip over them but they could be grabbed by anyone. Isshin turned on the TV and began to flip channels, Yuzu grabbed the food and helped by Orihime, Mrs. Edina and Chad they took the food into the kitchen, Ichigo got up and followed them, "Hey Yuzu lets use up the fresh stuff for dinner tonight, lets save the cans and dried food for when all the stuff that might go bad is gone, 'kay?"

She nodded, and as Orihime left the Kitchen he reminded her, "And please don't ever let Orihime cook for all of us, ever."

She nodded again, face far too pale, Ichigo scowled and ruffled her hair, it had been a bit different since she had turned thirteen but she still was his little sister. "Yuzu it'll be okay, we're here, Chad's here and you don't think a Zombie could get through him do you?"

She smiled a little, but fear was still too close to the surface for Ichigo's peace of mind, but on that topic the Zombies were with in a hundred miles, so he couldn't quite blame her for being afraid. "Yuzu trust us, or at least Chad, and Ishida."

She looked up at him with big eyes, and slowly nodded. Ichigo gave her one last look before going upstairs looking for some way to make sheaths for his knives. He reached his room and looked around opening his closet, he had a bunch of boxes, a roll of duck tape from closing them up when he had thought he was going to move out to go live on campus, and a bunch of stuff he didn't use or need. He sighed and closed up his closet, and went to look out his window. Smoke drifted over the city and Ichigo could see the Zombies surrounding the house, then he noticed a fire burning down the houses two streets over, and he found he was worried about it spreading to their house. He stilled his first instinct to run and tell the others because he realized there was almost no way for them to make it out even if it did spread; First there had to be something like a hundred Zombies all together around the house, not to mention they had locked themselves in. Second running away from the fire wouldn't work well at all, at least for the moment the wind was blowing away from them. Oh well he could keep watch from here.

He sat one bed and spread out his knives organizing them by length, his biggest knife was ten or so inches long, his next one was very close in size so it had to be nine inches, then his next was much smaller only six inches long but it was curved so it was a cool knife, his last one was six inches long but a simple straight blade. That was when it hit him, he could make knife sheaths out of cardboard and ducktape, he didn't know how long they'd last but they were something.

He hopped off his bed almost forgetting about the fire, he scrambled to his closet and emptied a box with all his old school books he'd kept some from high school and even before that, once it was empty and he had a new pile of books on his desk he laid the box out flat. From there he grabbed his knives and set them down in it, then he had to think, how would he do this? Obviously he needed two matching pieces of cardboard a little bigger then the knife he wanted to sheath, but how would he get the most use of the box? Because Yuzu, Karin, Chad and just about everyone else in the house needed them too.

"Okay," he lined his knives up and the got a pencil he out lined the blade of the knives, figuring he could cut out away from the outline. He started cutting for his biggest knife, once he had the first piece he laid it down point to point and then cut out the second piece. Next he sandwiched his knife between the two pieces, then he started wrapping the cardboard with ducktape starting with the tip. After going around it three or four times he slowly wound it up the sheath, once he reached the top he tore it off and then reinforced the tip one more time, then the middle and then the top, that he reinforced two times. Then he drew his dagger, it came smoothly, so he tried sheathing it, the was a little harder but he was betting it was because he wasn't used to a dagger or that sheath. He quickly realized he didn't know how he'd wear it, taping it to his jeans didn't seem practical...

Then he figured out how to make a loop so he could put it on his belt. He unsheathed his knife and then ripped off a six inch piece of tape, he stuck two or so inches inside the sheath, then he laid it on the floor sticky side up and tore off a matching piece and double sided it. Holding the double sided tape end down to the back of the sheath, wrapped the top of the sheath in one more layer of tape, finishing the loop where it could hang from his belt. Ichigo got to his feet eager to try it on, and that was when it hit him, he was in scrubs.

Ichigo wasn't sure why that was so funny but it really was, he had gone out fighting Zombies in scrubs, he had ordered around a room in which almost everyone was older then him in scrubs, and that was one thing if you were a doctor and they worked in a hospital or even a clinic but a bunch of every day normal people? And worse they listened. Chuckling, he closed his door and began to change into jeans and a fitted tee, then he grabbed his belt and slid it half way around his body and then he slid the loop on and finished putting his belt on, from there he tested how did it feel having the ten inch knife hanging by his thigh? And then from there how well did it seem to hold up? The knife at his side would take some getting use too, but the answer was in general better then he thought, the sheath didn't give at all when he tugged and he was getting better at drawing it the longer it was there.

So he sat down and went about making sheaths for all his knives, except for the pocket knife he found in his desk when he went for the new roll of ducktape, that was going in his pocket. Once he had his all made up he went and got Karin, she came in pale and worried, so while he went about making her knife sheaths she told him that well the news was talking about problems, they were in Tokyo, Chida, Yokohama, Urawa, Kotu, and Maebashi, and he too could see why she was so worried, you could almost draw a line connecting those cities to theirs. Then she told him that their local channel was all commercials, no news, nothing.

Ichigo was silent as he finished up, he was betting the next major city to feel it would be Nagona, but that didn't account for all the towns, and smaller cities that would be hit in between, not to mention all the small places on the way here.

"Okay," Ichigo handed Karin the last of the three knife sheaths, "Test it out and remember to be nice to it, I only have so much ducktape." He stood while Karin played with her knife sheaths a little, he wanted to make Yuzu's next but he had to find her first. "Karin wheres Yuzu?"

"Oh she was in our room last I knew." Karin waved vaguely over her shoulder.

"Okay, thanks." He left his room intending to bring Yuzu there, but he realized odds were she wasn't in the two's room it was already six p.m. knowing her she'd be down stairs already. He shook his head, turning around, and he was almost back down the hall when he heard a small thump from Yuzu's room. For a second he froze, was someone going through their room? If so he was betting he knew who... Ichigo crept but up the hall, then he reached their door and slowly twisted the doorknob trying to keep it as silent as possible, he opened it just a crack and let it swing open the rest of the way. What he saw made any thoughts of stealth disappear.

Shuji had a knife to Yuzu's throat, and her shirt was cut open and he was kneading her breasts, even though tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Ichigo, without planning beyond making him sorry, he stepped in the room, storming towards Shuji. At the sound Shuji turned and stupidly took the blade away from Yuzu's throat, he held it out towards him like Shuji could threaten him with it, but he was too fast for Shuji to see, he grabbed his wrist and twisted, breaking it. Shuji started screaming, Ichigo felt a smirk spread across his face, he twisted the arm some more pulling Shuji towards him, from there he twisted the broken limb up behind his back. After he had him on his knees Ichigo pressed him to the floor, letting his knee press painfully into the would be rapist's back. He ignored everyone crowding into the door, drawn by the little bastard's screams and pleads for mercy. His dad had clearly guessed what was going on judging by the fact he was already handing Yuzu a blanket and blocking her from the others views, Karin didn't seem to get it though judging by her demands.

"Ichigo what's going on! What are you doing?"

Ichigo was only a little surprised when Mrs. Ebina answered, but she had already proven herself to be canny before this, "Honey Ichigo... is protecting your sister."

Ichigo didn't look away from the bastard under him, no he was searching him for his gun and any knives he could find.

"What do you mean? What did he try to do?"

Ichigo finished searching him and had pulled off the hand gun, and two more knives, one had clearly been on him before they armed him. Ichigo found he couldn't do what he was planing without saying something, "**We **take you into the house, **we** offer to share **our** food, and **our** weapons and _**you**_ try to **rape** my sister. _**You**__ really thought you would get away with it?" _Ichigo wasn't sure if everyone could hear his hissed words but he didn't care, rage pulsed through him with every beat of his heart. He could see red, and he almost felt like he did when his hollow would take over. He looked up at Yuzu, and felt angry all over again at the sight of her tear stained face, without pausing he twisted the broken wrist again, pleased when the punk wailed. He ignored the protest from one of the other men, he was betting it was from Shin or Jun, he didn't trust either of them, especially after this. "Yuzu open the window please."

Yuzu stared at him her eyes big and dark, before she nodded, and started moving, that time the next protest came from Jun for sure. "Hey you can't just throw him out the window!"

That got Shuji squirming and he cried out, "He's right man you can't do that!"

Ichigo snarled for everyone to hear, "OH yeah? You can't try to rape someone's sister and not expect to pay for it! And I don't think the police will show up to arrest him and I won't feed him one stinking bite of food after the shit he tried to pull!"

He looked over everyone's face and he could see not one of his old friends protested, not even Orihime and oddly enough both Will and Mrs. Ebina looked just as vicious as he felt. He glared hard at Jun asking for him to try and protest one more time, he subsided but looked sulky and Ichigo knew he'd have to watch him. Ichigo hulled Shuji to his feet, Yuzu had the window open and had backed up to her bed, unwilling to even be close to the bastard. Ichigo pressed the bastard close to the window ignoring the whimpers, he pushed his top half out the window, making him look out and see all the Zombies in the back yard. "You are worth even less then the Zombies, you attacked and hurt others without even having the excuse of being dead. Enjoy." From there he grabbed him by the belt and threw him out the window.

Shuji tried to hold on the window ledge but his grip wasn't good so he fell flipping half way around, and he screamed all the way down. He landed on two Zombies, one seemed have had it's neck broken but the other was trying to bite Shuji from under him, to Ichigo's surprise Shuji got to his feet and shoved passed the Zombies grabbing at him, he reached the nearest window and began banging on it screaming to be let in. He broke through the glass, and then he got bit for the first time and his screaming stopped having words, just screaming. Ichigo slid the window shut, muffling the now gurgling sounds from outside the window, he turned around looked at Yuzu. To his surprise she threw herself at him, and began to cry, small muffed whimpers.

Ichigo was a bit surprised, his books had talked about how most rape victims didn't want to be touched by men, and even though the bastard hadn't gotten all the way he had thought she would go to Karin, they were twins after all. He slowly wrapped his arms around her and began to rock gently, he was surprised when Mrs. Ebina chased everyone but him and Karin out of the room, then she shut the door. "Ichigo how about you sit on the bed with her in your lap while I tell her something.

Ichigo nodded and lead her over to the bed lifting her up and setting her by his side, he waved Karin over and had her sit on Yuzu's other side, from there Mrs. Ebina knelt on the floor and patted Yuzu's knee through the blanket.

"Yuzu you are lucky, you may not feel that way at the moment and I know you have to wonder why he tried to do that to you but the answer is it was the way he was, you didn't do anything. I know you have to feel very scared, and only want to hide in your room or stay with your brother, as scary as it is you can't do that, you need to take this fear and anger and use it. Use it to become stronger. I know this is a lot to be piling on you with... everything going on, but you have to face it now or you will always be afraid..."

Karin cut in here, angry she hadn't been able to help her twin and angry the woman was pushing her twin, "What right do you have to push her around! She's scared and your telling her she has to stop crying and ignore how she feels? Stop trying to help!"

Mrs. Ebina grinned, "You might see it that way, but let me let you in on a secret." The woman leaned closer, her face turning serious and just a little dark. "I have been raped twice and the damage done has made it so I could never have children. The first time I was seventeen, and I was raped on my way home from shopping for food. I woke in the hospital because not only had I been raped but stabbed too. Now instead of facing the facts, I ignored what happened, but... I was scared of men, it didn't help my father... was ashamed of what had happened to me, he irrationally blamed me, told me it was all my fault. So when I was almost twenty, I still hadn't married, my father had died and I couldn't stand even being within a foot a man, it didn't matter I pretended it hadn't happened, I would flinch and startle. Making me a perfect victim, after all would a little mouse dare tell anyone what happened? No... So my boss raped me, I swore I would tell and get him arrested, so he beat me, I  
>cried and fought. Now I probably wouldn't have been raped or even targeted if I had faced my fear before I was cornered, but I hadn't so my boss beat me unconscious, and moved me to an alley and left me for dead. But I woke later and managed to make it to a police station, and that was where I met my husband, and him championing me was probably the only reason I got my former boss in jail. But the damage was done I can't have children."<p>

Yuzu had sat up from where she had been laying across his lap half way through the story, she was still crying but only a little. Karin had slumped back trying to seem unimpressed, but Ichigo could see the tremors in her shoulders. After a minute or two of quiet Yuzu spoke, "Thank you telling me Mrs. Ebina, I feel a bit better knowing someone else has survived worse. But for now I think I'm going to stay in my room."

Mrs. Ebina smiled but it seemed a little sad, "You do that dear, and I will make dinner but try tomorrow to face everyone, anyone who looks down on you will have to go through me."

Ichigo said his bit, glad Mrs. Ebina had helped but he was her brother. "I think you mean through me and then you."

Mrs. Ebina laughed, her grim look disappearing, "I guess your right Ichigo, and you are quite a bit scarier then me, especially after that last bit."

Ichigo nodded while Karin snickered, Mrs. Ebina got to her feet and headed down stairs, once the door was shut again, fell into doctor mode, "So Yuzu any bruises, anything you need me to treat?"

Yuzu looked up at him from where she was leaning on his side, she smiled faintly, "No I'm okay onii-chan, I was scared but I knew you'd show up and save me."

Ichigo felt the last of his anger melt away, his sister would be okay after some time, "Yuzu I was coming to ask you to come to my room so I could make you some sheaths for those knives of yours that don't have any, you okay with going to my room?"

Yuzu nodded, and stood before saying, "If I had listened to you and had a knife on me I could have protected myself."

Ichigo sighed, "I will agree you should have had a knife on you after I told you too, but I'm not sure you could have beaten him, he after all out weighed you by at least fifty pounds, but you could've put up enough of a fight I or someone else would have gotten here to finish stopping him."

Yuzu nodded and followed him to his room, while Karin went down stairs while he made Yuzu her knife sheaths, after that he helped suggest spots she could secret them, after that he went down stairs to get them both their food. From there Karin and Orihime came upstairs to join them, after eating Ichigo took the dishes down stairs, and everyone started drifting to bed, Ichigo got dressed in pjs and looked back out the window, the fire had died down to a faint glow or blackness, it was such a change from the normal well lit streets, it struck him as odd and he had trouble falling asleep.

**8:49 p.m.**

Kagome had found a nice backpack, made her alterations, which had left her fingers sore, and found the employee lounge that had a small fridge with a couple of uneaten bento boxes. So she had dinner, and was even thinking about spending the night, she had a chair behind the door so she would at least have some warning before a Zombie made it in the room. Then she heard a loud bang, the bang of a gun shot, at first she was surprised as she hadn't heard any survivors in three or so hours, but they had just ruined her hiding place for some ammo. So as quick as she could she hopped off the dirty couch, she grabbed her new bag with the quivers sewn on, two new large and filled water bottles, some dried food; fruit, soup mixes, and freeze dried stuff, and the left overs of the sewing kits, needles and thread that she had added to her first aid kit and she had even added some more gauze and tape. Then her socks, some more she had grabbed, and her clean underwear, along with her toothbrush and toothpaste, oh and her shampoo and conditioner, plus some no water shampoo stuff she had found in the store, not to mention she hadn't thrown her old bag out, she never knew when someone could use it. She pulled on her archery glove and then picked up her bow and she was out the door looking for survivors.

She knocked an arrow ready for anything, Zombies or even worst, bad survivors.

She found five guys, one girl and all hauling guns, the woman had a handgun and she was reloading, the guys were looking for anything left, knives, ammo, guns. "Hey you know noise only draws more right?"

They all jumped and spun surprised by her voice, then to her surprise she realized she knew one of them, "Wantanabe?"

"Higurashi?" he seemed just as stunned as her.

"When did you get out? I thought you were with Suzuki's group."

He shook his head as the others stood down, and went back to arming themselves, "No I went out with the first group, Kichida was there and... Well it's safe to say I am the only one left of that group."

"Really?"

He nodded, his normally stupid looking face serious for once, "Yeah speaking of which, are you the only one left of your group?"

Kagome shook her head, "I don't think so, I'm pretty sure Yamamoto and Hiroshi made it out, along with a dozen or so others, I broke off from them when I fell behind. But seriously," she surveyed the group. "Guns only draws more of them till your out of ammo, their blind and can't feel, but they hear pretty dang well."

"Shut up guns kill a lot better then.." a man sneered, "Arrows."

Kagome looked the snotty man over, greasy hair, slob clothes, not exactly fit looking, she sneered back. "Oh I know, it's just their a hell of a lot quieter, and I can reuse them. Though I suppose the skill..." she shook her head, almost sadly. The other woman in the room snorted, while the man swelled almost like Inuyasha would when someone one upped him.

Then the guy behind the counter, who Kagome belated noticed was a police man, spoke. "Here they come."

Kagome spun, a dozen or more were making their way up the stairs, Kagome bit her lip, stupid her forgetting quiet was good, noise bad. She shot the first one in the head, and reached for another arrow when the group opened fire. Kagome groaned, the sound not heard over the loud echoing bangs, her ears hurt before they had shot more the four or five of them. And they were shooting them more then once because their aim sucked, well, she was betting the Police man was the most accurate but the rest they were pointing and pulling just like she use to with a bow.

Once they finish Kagome rushed to the front window, and sure enough she could already see them starting to spill out of buildings, and coming from up and down the road, what ten minutes ago had been almost empty was filling up, way too fast for them to handle. At least they had a natural bottleneck; the stairs, because that was about the only way for the Zombies to come in, the broken glass front doors, the stairs up the two floors. She had checked the employee stairs, better known as the 'back stairs' the doors were pull only and the one to the alley required a key, Zombies, if they had it, wouldn't know how to use it and they weren't strong enough to break that door down. "Damn it. You guys lead them right here!" she exhaled, and inhaled again. "Okay where were you heading when you stopped?"

"We were heading to the north-east exit because the north exit was completely over run, the guards were just shooting into the crowd because there was so many Zombies, you were just as likely to die from friendly fire as being bitten. Not to mention the wall fifteen feet tall built around the road, they had closed the doors and... they were just shooting." the woman paused in her loading her pockets with ammo for her hand gun, caught up in the memories.

"Rei."

She jolted out of it at the one word command from the police officer, Kagome looked between the two and caught the vibes, they were into one another but afraid to show it, they had known each other before this. "What do you mean wall?" did they mean barricade or what? Surely they didn't have time to make a wall...

"She means a mother fucking wall, metal and concrete, solid, nothing and no one getting through." The greasy guy said.

Kagome frowned, "How did they get it up?"

"No clue, but I do know that it looked like it only went half way or so around the city." One of the quieter men spoke up, Kagome turned towards him, brown eyes, black hair, average body, not very tall rather short, but he was wearing a bright pink shirt.

"How did you see it?"

"I was on the roof of a ten story building."

Kagome looked at him before grinning, "I'll buy that."

He nodded before going back to looking for some more weapons, Kagome looked around the group, "Okay I have a plan if you want to listen."

The police officer looked up and met her eyes from across the room, he slowly nodded. "Lets hear it."

"Okay you guys need to finish arming up, I bet you all would love some water, and there are back stairs the Zombies can't get to. So you have ten maybe twenty minutes, use the bathroom, get a drink maybe even a water bottle, finish loading up and I'll hold them off with just my bow, then we leave going down the back stairs to the alley, and then we try to find a place for the night. Because I'm pretty sure we don't want to try pushing across town in the dark when we're tired."

He looked her over, "It sounds good, but only if you think you can take it."

She nodded and faced the stairs where the first of the next wave had reached the top, she lined up her shot and took it, the body falling backwards pushed the others back down, so she had between ten seconds and a full minute, "Hey Rei bring me all the arrows from the shelves and open them for me?"

"Sure Higurashi."

She shot two more Zombies before Rei was back, and she stood there holding the boxes, in a towering stack, looking around them at her. Kagome grinned into her next shot amused by the silliness of the move the woman had taken. "Ah I have them here what do I do?"

Kagome risked a look around and realized there was a small table off to the side, "Grab the table and put it in front of me, and open the boxes and lay the arrows tip to the stairs, all the same way so I don't cut myself please." She didn't look away from the stairs, even as she heard the loud crashes of the woman dropping the boxes on the table and then pushing the rest of the stuff on it off, then the screech as Rei dragged it over. She barely noticed anything till she heard the long awaited words of, "I finished."

"Good, thank you." And with that she stopped drawing from her quiver, she started drawing from the table in front of her, with a faint smile she remembered doing this sort of thing with five friends at her side, god she missed them, they would have laughed at all the screaming people, they'd all be 'god haven't you seen the dead used against the living before?' Damn it, missed. She quickly hit the Zombie in the forehead and she frowned as it went down one in it's neck and the other it it's forehead. Suddenly there was no more Zombies, Kagome took a deep slow breath and was surprised by the burn in her shoulders, she hadn't shot that many arrows so fast since... god probably the day they killed Naraku.

"Man I let myself go." she snickered, rolling her shoulders trying to loosen them up.

"If thats let yourself go, what were you like?"

Kagome spun surprised, she found Rei and Wantanabe sitting behind her watching, Wantanabe had a gun in his hands ready to shoot if one got past her, Rei was sitting with a water bottle in hand, gun tucked in the front of her jeans, Kagome looked her over again and realized, she looked older then she was under the poor lighting, because rather then the almost thirty she had thought before she was now betting the girl was only two or so years older then her. She was betting Rei was the one who asked, she smiled it was sad, she was so amazing by modern times when back then she was small fry. She couldn't help but laugh, "I just meant once upon a time I could probably shot twice that without getting sore, if I had that many arrows, I always seemed to run out just when I needed them."

Rei nodded looking confused, Wantanabe spoke up, "You weren't kidding about knowing stuff back at the hotel were you?"

Kagome grinned, smug. She wondered what he'd say if she said she had seen zombies before and helped bury a hundred or more people in a day, then her smile died, it really was sad. She had been complaining no one got it and suddenly everyone alive she ran into would. Wow, she felt like bitch. She had come home a cried about all the death to her mom, she had down played the danger and then she had wished it on the world, wow. "Lets just go with, yeah I know what I'm talking about. So what happened with everyone, I know I was still in my room when you left..."

"Well... We wanted out, to reach the edge of the city as fast as possible so we, me, Yuji, Kichida, two teachers, and a dozen or so others, booked it. We just left, we had make-shift weapons, mirror rims, lamp poles, stuff. So first chance we got we went to a store, and we set the alarm off, we lost ten or so including one of the teachers, but everyone who made it out was better armed, knives, even a couple of guns. We actually were pretty close when Kichida turned none of us remembered she had been bitten, so she turned in the middle of the group and started biting, we broke up in a panic. Me and Yuji, we ran and made it to the exit only it was total chaos, he got shot, he died in my arms then I ran away and met up with them. And thats about all."

Kagome ignored the wetness on his face when he talked about Yuji, she knew Yuji was Wantanabe's best friend, to have lost him to friendly fire... at least, and she hated she could say this, but she could, he hadn't had to kill him when he turned. While he had been talking she had gone over the five deep pile of bodies at the top of the stairs and began to reuse arrows, only after she had flicked most the blood off, did she put them back in her quiver till it was full again, she stayed there even after Wantanabe finished, watching for next bunch of Zombies. Kagome found herself amused as she looked down the stairs, it was completely covered in bodies most places at least three deep, and in some five, like the top of the stairs. Rei's police man friend came back, "No problems?"

Kagome stood from her crouch, feeling the burn in her thighs as she did so, "Nope not a problem."

Rei spoke up now, "Don't believe her Takashi, you should have seen her, she shot arrow after arrow I think she killed at least a hundred!"

He gave her a patented disbelieving look, Rei scowled cutely, and snarled, "Don't give me that look, go look at the stairs if you don't believe me!"

Kagome frowned, seeing half a dozen more Zombies show themselves at the shout, she stood and walked over to the table, even as she readied the next arrow she tossed back, "Rei... heck anyone remember what I said about noise? Seriously." She went back to the top of the stairs and shot the next Zombie before it had gotten more then two or three bodies up the stairs. Then she glanced back at the table she probably had another twenty to thirty arrows, she started drawing from her quiver to save herself the time of going back to the table. As she shot the Zombies, Takashi walked over only to gap in shock at the piles and piles. She ignored him as he stared at her, mouth hanging open, she supposed he was looking for any sigh of squeamishness, but he wouldn't find any, they would have to bleed on her before she would worry about blood and guts.

"Your... you are... wow... how... who..." Takashi stammered out, as she went back to the table to replace the arrows she had just spent, he followed her trying to talk. Finally Kagome saved him from himself, "I am Kagome Higurashi Miko and Archery expert, and I got good through lots of hands on experience and no, blood, guts and dead people don't bother me, even if their trying to eat me."

She watched his face full of awe, and smirked, seriously they were in a bottle neck, and they were slow so she had lots of time to aim, he shouldn't be so impressed. If they were coming at her straight she would have just run. Then she noticed the bright red face of Rei who was burning with jealousy, she grinned again, she remembered that feeling well, the bright shining figure of Kikyo in the front and for most of Inuyasha's mind, only this time she was the bad guy. She looked Takashi's figure over, he was very fit and a very handsome Japanese man, however she had found her tastes ran towards the strange and exotic men, not to mention pigheaded. She absolutely couldn't forget that. But he seemed nice and to be a bit of a hero if his uniform was to be believed. "So how old are you Takashi and Rei? 'cause you two have to be the same age."

The two blushed looking away from her and not meeting the others eyes, Rei answered, "Me and him are six months apart, he's older at twenty-five, I will be twenty-five soon, we've known each other since elementary school."

Kagome nodded, they were so a couple. The other three men drifted back to the main area at the top of the stairs, they all kinda looked at the stairs disbelieving and surprised. When the snotty guy looked at her Kagome couldn't help but grin, till he sneered, then she got a sinking feeling about the sort he was. A low vile man who thought women weren't worth anything. She had met far too many men like that in the feudal era, she shrugged to herself, oh well she could handle him and any Zombies. "So I was thinking since there doesn't seem to be any more coming up the stairs, maybe we could go back and block the door that leads to the back stairs and the employee lounge, and spend the night."

Rei and Takashi were nodded when the greasy guy spoke up, "No we have to keep moving, we can't stop, we need to get out of the city!"

Kagome felt her temper rise, hadn't the dumb ass heard her? She bit her tongue and turned, going back to table, grabbing an arrow and lining it up, she was just about to shoot the Zombie at the bottom of the stairs when it fell it's head exploding, the noise echoing in her eyes, she spun officially angry. "What the fuck do you not understand about they follow noise! Stop shooting asshole!"

He tossed his head, a sneer on his face, "Make me pretty girl."

Kagome gritted her teeth, trying to rein in her temper, before turning her sights on him, he asked for it! She shot the gun, the force knocking him back a step, and half flinging the gun from his hand while the arrow ricochet, embedding it's self in the floor two feet to the left of him. He gapped at her, shocked that she had shot at him, she sneered back, "Shall I shoot again?"

Takashi ran between the two of them arms held up, palms flat towards the two of them, "Stop!"

Kagome leaned back on her left foot, waiting to see if the bastard would back off.

"WE all should grab some food and move else where, we leave out the back stairs, then we go to the nearest safe building to rest till morning it would be safe to wait for first light before we try to get out." Takashi directed the last bit towards the greasy guy.

Kagome waited so when he nodded, she nodded, and with that the others all jumped up and began grabbing the dried food she had left, she however took up her spot at the top of the stairs where she continued to keep the horde back, till everyone but her and Takashi were through the door to the back area of the store. Then she left her post and the half a dozen or so arrows behind, dashing for the door Takashi held open. From there they went down the back hall, to the stairs where Rei leading everyone held the door till she and Takashi were through, after that the greasy guy lead the way down the stairs. Once they were all at the bottom, they caught their breath and then Kagome volunteered to check that the back alley way was clear. She cracked the door, bitting her lip at the squeak of the hinges, but nothing leapt out at her right away, so she stepped out and looked all the way around. It was clear but for a few Zombies at the far end, heading for the front of the store where Kagome was betting they could hear the others walking around bumping into things. She waved her hand at the crack where the others were peaking out, and they came pouring out. Then she lead the way, stepping quietly through the garbage and broken glass littering the alley, but some couldn't be so quiet and couldn't let her lead, cough, the greasy guy. Jerk, bastard, and any derogatory word she could think of applying to males. She would have been fine with him leading if he stepped a little lighter, but even she could hear the thud of his steps enhanced by crunching or crinkling, not to mention he wasn't glancing behind or around dumpsters, a Zombie could take him by surprise easily and she was betting he would scream his girly ass off. 'Deep breath, calm the inner nasty Kagome.'

She took a deep breath and was just letting it out when the idiot was surprised by a Zombie, Kagome went to draw on it, but the stupid idiot ass shot it with his gun, Kagome didn't hold back after that. "Stupid fucker!" She ran past him taking the lead, already other Zombies seem to almost appear out of the walls, the others had started running when she did so they were already way past the point where he had shot his gun, but it was a little late. He had drawn enough towards them that they no longer could keep pushing forward, she dived towards the nearest fire escape and pulled the ladder down ignoring the screech of metal she waved the others forward, but after the guy in the pink shirt and Rei were up, the greasy guy tried to step forward. Kagome actually stopped shooting and pulled him away hissing, "This is your fucking fault your going last or so help me I'll shoot you off the ladder."

He was pushed aside by Wantanabe, who leapt up the ladder in a way that reminded her he was a jock, once his feet were clear the other quiet guy climbed up, followed by Takashi and then she let the greasy guy up. Once he was clear she took one last shot, and then pulled herself up, she thought she was clear when surprise, something grabbed her shoe. She risked a glance down, ignoring Takashi calling for her to kick it off, sure enough a gapping bloody mouth grinned up at her, while blood shot eyes looking up in a way she almost thought it could see her. She took her other foot off the ladder and kicked it in the forehead, it fell groaning feebly, she scrambled up some more, once she reached the first floor she stopped and looked up, they could climb to the roof, at least ten stories up or they could try to cut though the building.

"Climb to the fifth or sixth floor, then we can try to get out!"

Rei and the pink shirt guy called back affirmatively. Kagome climbed behind the sour greasy guy, if she hadn't known she was holding an arrow in her hand and had a dagger close to the other, she would worried about him trying to turn around and shoot her. But she was too close, and more ready then him.

Soon she watched the others disappear through a window that was open, implying to Kagome at least that someone might have escaped that way before. But she wasn't hearing shots and as proven this group was having trouble losing their reliance on guns, but she was proven wrong when she climbed through the window she first had to step over a body of a Zombies that looked to have been knifed in the head, and Rei was cleaning a knife off on the table cloth. Kagome sighed and looked around the room, "Can I get names? I only know half the group and everyone knows me."

"I'm Doi Taro," Pink shirt introduced himself.

Kagome gave a slight bow to be polite, all eyes turned to the silent guy, Kagome was belated noticing his clothes were the nicest in the group and he had a large gold ring on his pointer finger, "I am Anzai Yuu."

Kagome bowed again, and looked to asshole, that would be what she called him till he proved other wise, but he had a lot to work through. He scowled, "Genda Tatsuya."

Kagome scowled back and made it clear she wouldn't bow to so rude a man. Silence filled the room and Kagome took it upon herself to speak, "You almost got us killed again, bastard. It was just one, you could have walked past or hit it with the butt of your rifle, but no..." Kagome gritted her teeth, "Pull that while I'm here and I will shot you, this is your last warning."

He snarled back, "Look bitch. Your the one not wanted, you and your damn bossy attitude, you can fuck off if you don't want me shooting Zombies."

Kagome grinned back, knowing she might as well be barring her teeth Inuyasha style, "Yeah well I won't be the one killing people, I'm not the fucking dumb ass shooting right and left, not even an accurate shot, I could earn my keep you'd be the one slowing them down."

Takashi stepped in here, "Hey neither of you should leave, and Genda she's right, shoot as a last resort. Thanks to you we can't leave here for likely another four or five hours, because we couldn't fight through that, so we have to wait for them to leave. So girls take a bed room us guys will share the other and the couch."

It took a minute but Genda met her gaze held it before backing down, then she followed Rei into the smaller of the two bedrooms, from there she shut the door, wedging a chair under the door knob as a warning and to slow anyone trying to come in, down. Rei met her eyes, exhaustion weighting the other older girl down, Kagome smiled and dropped her bow then her backpack, she was just glad she hadn't lost it or the bow climbing, she added her coat to the pile. She wanted to take her shoes off but was afraid to, so she climbed on the queen sized western bed and watched Rei slid her jeans off, piling them on top of her boots, then Rei climbed on too, pulling the blanket over her slender but curvy body. Kagome closed her eyes, tired but still wary and nervous about sleeping, she wasn't sure she trusted everyone around her, she was half a sleep when Rei spoke. "Kagome you know you were really impressive and cool with all those arrows."

Kagome sighed, "Rei I only was able to do that after years of f... Of practice, don't be so impressed as you saw on the ground with so many I would rather run, I only shot all the Zombies at the store because there was a bottleneck and I had almost unlimited arrows."

Silence filled the small room and Kagome could feel Rei desire to speak filling the room so she resigned herself to hearing the girl out.

"Yeah but then you even pulled Genda down, you laughed as he got angry even though he's bigger then you, you made fun of him when he threatened you..."

Kagome frowned, and interrupted, "When did he threaten me?"

"Well it sounded like a threat when he said you weren't wanted, but any way how are you so brave? You don't even care that the city is full of walking dead people that want to eat you."

Kagome sighed again, she was tired and trying to make sense while talking hurt her head now that she was laying down, "Look lets leave it at this isn't the first time I've been hunted by something wanting to kill and eat me, and lets also go with I've seen dead bodies before, so putting the two together isn't that much of a leap. Now not to be rude but it'll still be here in the morning and I want to sleep before facing it."

Rei was silent and Kagome closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**This was going to be a one shot but it grew too long to post as one thing, so here is part one.**

**Dark Shadowed Rose**


	2. Chapter 2

**Zombies**

**Disclaimer I own nothing, neither Bleach or Inuyasha nor any Zombie Movies,. I was inspired by High school of the Dead, Last of the Living, and just about any other zombie movie out there that I've seen. And yes this is a product of boredom and lack of sleep considering I thought of this at five in the morning. By the way this takes place after Ichigo beat Aizen and lost his powers and as if the never manga picks up again. And sorry my faithful Everyone's Dead fans this just wouldn't go away till I wrote it, so now that it's done maybe I can work on chapter 32.**

**8:23 a.m. Next morning.**

Kagome felt something near her move and sat up before her eyes were fully open, she then found a surprised Rei staring at her, she blinked, 'running from Zombie infested city. Right.' "Good morning, what time is it?" She only asked because Rei was wearing a watch and she had turned her cell phone off to conserve power, not to mention it was in her jacket that was on top of her backpack.

"8:23 a.m."

"Right, so the guys up?"

"Don't know someone is up and it's not us so... I'm going to go to the bathroom and then eat that.. whatever freezer dried stuff I put in my pocket last night was."

"How about you save that and we see what's in the kitchen, they should at least have some cereal or ramen." Rei nodded and went into the small cube like bathroom off the bed room, it had a small shower along with a toilet and sink. Kagome got up and stretched, feeling the small dents in her skin from where the knives were still strapped to her legs, she glanced in the mirror and saw the splatter of dried blood she had missed when she rinsed her face, not to mention she need to wash her hair, she had already been going on a day yesterday since she had washed it and now she needed it. She glanced at the bathroom wondering how soon till Rei was done, then she realized the shower was on, she grinned. 'Thats us girls.' She stretched some more trying to work her tender shoulders, she would need them and couldn't trust the whole group to help her if she needed it. She pulled her travel hair brush out of her backpack and set about brushing her hair, Rei soon left the bathroom, and grinned as Kagome stared at her, "Yes I know a shower really? And yes Zombies may have taken over the city but I'm not one yet."

Kagome grinned back, "Couldn't have said it better myself," she took a pair of clean underwear and socks, along with her shampoo and conditioner in and shut the door. She brushed her teeth as she hadn't taken the time the night before and then she showered quickly and redressed, leaving the small bathroom she found the door open. She eyed her bag and then hid it under the bed after stuffing her dirty clothes in, then she stepped out and started helping Rei with breakfast, they had hit the jackpot with this apartment.

Takashi and Wantanabe were the two already up and they were the two who stayed in the living room. The four of them ate first and left the food out for the others that were drifting out, Kagome and Takashi had poked their head out the front door and judging from the blood stains decided to not leave out the front as planned the night before, they were sure there was a fair number in the building, but the alley was far clearer then the night before, they were thinking they would leave around ten a.m. or so and it would be clear enough for them to get out of the tunnel like alley, to the main streets so they could head for the edge of the city again. Kagome took the time to watch the TV a bit, the news had nothing about Zombies but a lot of the cities her class had driven through to get here were all under military lock down. Outside help had been flown in and the news was all over a wall or lock down not allowing any one in a fifty mile radius of any violent confirmations, if anyone came out they were taken into tents and the reports had no official word, other then there was an emergency that required military action. Sadly it did nothing for Kagome's peace of mind to find the 'wall' as dubbed by the press ran from the coast around Tokyo all the way past Karakura town to the ocean.

But at least after getting out of the city getting into Tokyo wouldn't be her problem, but it didn't make her feel at that much better about her mother and brother, especially since her mother had wanted her out of Tokyo so badly. If she didn't know her mother hadn't worked outside the shrine since before her mother married her father she would have been worried about her being involved in what ever had happened to have caused... the Zombies, she did find herself buying into the movie franchise because those bitten turned, implying virus or... she had no clue so she was betting virus.

When the others left the bedroom to eat and use the public bathroom in the apartment she slipped back into the other bedroom she knew it was a girl's because of the vanity and the bathroom with all the girly stuff, the pink shaver and the floral shampoo in the shower. But one thing she was thinking she needed and didn't have was a hair band, she didn't use them normally liking her hair down, but she had to admit wearing it down into battle when it was almost a foot longer then it had been when she traveled in the feudal era was a bad idea, she knew if it had been a pain then now could get her killed, so she wanted to braid it. So she went through the draws on the vanity and found some, so she french braided her hair and tied it off with the girl's hair tie.

She left the room ready to go, and found out that the TV had given a report that two weeks ago a lab a little outside Tokyo's city limits had stopped sending updates on a project, and that the government was sure a week ago when a team went into investigate whatever had happen had gotten out and spread, they were now asking anyone inside to get to the wall and be ready to be check for contaminates and then be released.

So the group now knew they needed some sort of car or something to make it to the wall from here and even then they knew they would need more then one tank of gas, so after that had sunk in Kagome realized it was close to eleven. "Hey okay so we need a car, but we also need to get moving so lets grab something for lunch so everyone can save their freeze dried stuff for dinner incase we can't get food, and get out."

Everyone nodded, but Kagome noted the sulky look from Genda, she was really worried about trusting him. She was searching the kitchen with Rei when she found the stash of snack bars, they hadn't found much they could take with them for lunch, snack bars and vegetables they could munch on while walking were just about the best thing. She was ready to help dole it out in even portions when Genda ripped the box from her grasp and cut her off mid word, his grab tried to shove her back while taking the box from her, she let him take it but put her hand on her knife, his smirk at having 'beat her' said he wasn't done.

"Stop being such a big mouth bitch, you aren't the boss, we didn't elect you and you joined last, so technically doesn't that make you last... bitch?"

Kagome sighed she simultaneously wanted to stab him for being a pain and loud but talking won out, "Well lets see, I did join last but you or at least _you _would be toast without me, I mean I cleaned up your mess and you're the only one who minds me speaking the most logical direction to take our group, so it makes me think you know _you_ need me and it bothers you to be the _weakest_ link in the group, the one who needs the most protec..."

He lunged at her and grabbed her throat, stopping her from finishing, she let him think he had the upper hand for the moment but she had the knife pointed at his groin so she knew one little poke and she would be back on top. "Shut up little bitch! Who's the weakest one now? Hun? He squeezed a little ignoring the yelling of the rest the group, calling for her to be let free or be shot, Kagome looked him in the eye and let him babble, he was stopping her jaw from moving and she had to work to get enough air but he wasn't strangling her. He squeezed a little more a sneer on his face, "_You. _You're the weak one now, so cry. I squeeze a little harder and you won't be able to breath, fear me little girl, little minnow.."

Kagome was fed up with his little speech not mention the commotion in the rest the room meant all the Zombies outside would be looking for them and the ones in the building would be at their door. So she applied a bit of pressure, her amusement grew when he went white. He now knew why she wasn't afraid and hadn't fought, she had already won, he would need five minutes or so minutes to kill her by strangulation, and all she needed to do was stab him, within two or three minutes he would too weak to keep trying kill her and that time was what he would have needed to stop himself from dying. His eyes drifted down to her hand, the hand with her nine inch knife pointed and pressing into his dick, he looked back up at her and what he saw didn't reassure him, still white he spoke slowly. "I'm going to let go and slowly back away, okay?"

The room behind him, the room that couldn't see the front of them suddenly went silent, confused by the chain of events. He slowly loosened his hands, letting her breath and have a chance to talk, once he had let go he tried to take a step back. That was when she turned the tables, he stepped away she followed, and he went even whiter. She smiled as the room watched, just now understanding why she hadn't been kicking or fighting just her other hand holding his right wrist, "I'm the little minnow? I'm the little girl? And I should fear you? A big." she jabbed a little harder, "Strong." she poked again, "Man?"

Genda gulped, sweat beading in his hair line, Kagome smiled a little wider, "I don't think so, I have met much bigger fish in the ocean then you and walked away, if anyone in this room should be scared it would be you." She jabbed one last time before stepping away, looking down the tiny red dot in the tiny hole in his jeans. Kagome would have rather die before tell anyone she felt bad, but not because she had held a knife to his dick, no she felt bad because she had drawn blood and taken pleasure in his fear, but after so much time around men in the feudal era like him, she had something of an allergy. Meeting men like that brought out the worst in her, her friends before they spilt up had thought it was a hold over from being put down so much, she figured they were right. Inuyasha putting her down had made it so she couldn't take it from anyone else, something like the opposite of someone from a former abuse situation, but at the same time abuse. She sighed knowing she couldn't stay with this group, someone would die if not because she killed him or him her, but because she challenged him too much, so he would take risks, and threaten the group.

Kagome backed up, Genda was still standing where she left him, and the rest the room was frozen in shock and surprise. "Look I'm going to leave the group once we get outside, you guys are going to the wall, I want to go to Tokyo. I can't stay, but I will clear outside and stay to make sure nothing sneaks up on you while you leave but after that you go your way and I go mine."

Everyone nodded slowly, Rei was chewing her lip upset by her leaving but unwilling to say nay. Kagome took two bars and a snack bag of vegetables, and then stuffed them in her pocket. She went to the window while the others got theirs, they did that and she started shooting Zombies. They had gathered under the window from the yelling but the noise hadn't been loud enough outside to draw more then an extra dozen then what she would have had to shoot anyway. Once it was clear Rei was standing at her back ready to follow her out, if only to give them a moment to say bye or for Rei to try to talk her out of it. Kagome climbed out and started down, Rei close behind, once they got to the last ten feet of ladder Kagome swung out off the ladder and landed hard, feet flat and knees bent, Rei followed slowly. Kagome started trying to save arrows, both from last nights victims and todays, so far she was having better luck with todays, most of the night before's had been walked on at some point or another.

"Kagome you are amazing and I wish I could come with you, but I would slow you down and you can't stay, so good luck and I hope you make it out to Tokyo."

Kagome was both surprised and amused, Rei apparently still remembered that Takashi liked her and she was sincere in her wish she made it out, Rei was nice but not tough enough. "You too, and you should tell him, if only because he or you could die, and you need to say it because other wise you or him will have regrets."

Kagome didn't look up at Rei as she said it, she continued inspecting arrows at the the group slowly climbed down the ladder, so far she had saved all but one from the twenty arrows she had fired today and twelve from the twenty-two she had fired covering the group the night before. Not only were her shoulders protesting the work, her arrow numbers and survival odds were too, she couldn't keep firing this many arrows, not only could her stores not take it, her arms couldn't. The guys had taken their sweet time, and Genda was coming down last, Kagome was betting there had been a mini mens meeting threatening Genda, if only because he was coming down last and Wantanabe had been the only one straight out after them, probably to keep an eye on the girls.

Genda was climbing down the last fifteen feet of ladder one handed, the gun in the other despite the alley was clear for more then a hundred yards, when he slipped. Kagome was up on her feet the moment she heard the screech of a sweaty hand on metal but then if that hadn't been loud enough he hit the ground with a crunch, and then he screamed but mixed with that scream was a gunshot, because hitting the ground his gun discharged. The group of everyone but her had gone further up the alley, she was closest to him, and she was pretty sure he had just shot himself in the chest, because he was laying on his gun and his moans were gurgling. She looked up and met the eyes of the other group, Kagome could already see the Zombies moving towards them, so a little more wouldn't hurt. "Run! He's shot leave him! I'll make some more noise!"

Takashi met her eyes for a forever moment, that second she got his full measure, he was a strong man and he knew a strong person when he met them. He trusted her to cover their back and not die doing it, if Rei and he ever got together they would be very happy.

Kagome bolted down the nearest alley, she reached out with the bow and let the tip drag on the wall, "Come on Zombies! Come and get a Kagome treat!"

**3:08 p.m. Ichigo's house**

Ichigo sat in the chair watching the window, they had a full swarm outside the house, a car had driven through the street and run over Zombies killing and mauling a lot, but it also didn't seem to have made that much of an impact on the numbers outside the house. The window Shuji had broke meant Zombies could reach into the house, they were worried because some of the boards were a lot looser then they'd like. But Yuzu was also doing okay, she had made breakfast and looked everyone in the eyes, but Ichigo had also noticed her hand stayed near the knife on her belt when she spoke to the men they hadn't known before. But on top of that their TV wasn't working and Jun had been a bit more of a problem, nothing too obvious, but little digs here and there, small fight starters. He sighed again, he was starting to wish they had run for it even though he still knew it was unpractical, neither he nor his dad had a car and he was pretty sure his dad couldn't drive.

Lunch had been awkward, sitting on the floor, trying to not look at the windows, and ignore the groans from the left of where he'd been sitting. Suddenly he heard shouting from downstairs, he leapt off the chair and dashed down stairs to find Shin and Jun fighting, they yelling going on told him what had likely happened.

"Stupid kid! What the fuck were you thinking taking that food? Hun? Going to take it and try to run?"

"Shut up! I wasn't stealing!"

Ichigo glanced at the floor around the two, he could clearly see the bag with ramen and cans of fruit and vegetables, and Jun hadn't got it so by definition he was stealing, Ichigo ignored the others in the room. "Stop it! Back off both of you!"

Jun and Shin were shoving and hitting the other, Ichigo was both annoyed they had to fight and at the same time he wanted to take a swing at Jun too, after all what the hell was he thinking taking food like that? Then disaster struck, a half circle had formed around the fighters and at the back of that half circle was the broken window, and everyone was so focused on the fight and forgetting the real threat, when Shin threw Jun back, he fell into waiting arms. For a split second everyone stared in shock as the arms grabbed the boy and yanked, pulling him through the boards, completely opening the window, then he started screaming. Ichigo without really thinking, drew his biggest knife and charged forward, stabbing at the faces looking through the window at them groaning hungrily. Jun continued to scream grabbing at the window frame fighting to get back on his feet even as the Zombies were winning the tug-a-war. Then Ichigo saw the horrible yellow teeth sink into Jun's shoulder, and suddenly teeth were all over his arms, his shoulders, his wildly kicking legs.

Ichigo stabbed at the arms and faces, and anything he could reach through the window, he wasn't even trying to save Jun any more, just stop the Zombies from getting in the house. He noticed Chad was using one of the wooden bats to break arms and faces, and he also realized Jun wasn't screaming any more and Jun was falling out of the window. Ichigo let him fall and realized they couldn't keep this up, even though Will and his Father had joined in. It hit him, "Girls get something to block this temperately!"

His voice caught the attention of the Zombies because suddenly, as fast a blink they were all reaching for him, the one that was half pushed over the window sill by the others and the dozen or so other arms. Realizing he was too close and his one knife couldn't keep them back, he let himself fall to the left, the hands of the two Zombies nearest him almost seeming to help, pushing him to the side in their attempt to grab him. But then it went wrong, his dad had reached out to grab him probably to pull him back, but reaching forward meant the Zombies reaching for him got his dad. Ichigo watched unable to help his dad, yanked forward his dad fell into the waiting arms, they pulled him close to their waiting mouths and Ichigo vaguely heard Yuzu scream, just in time to mingle with their father's as one bit through his sleeve, deep into his forearm. Ichigo got to his feet and stepped forward stabbing at the head biting his father, Chad grabbed his dad and pulled him away, suddenly he was the only one stabbing at the Zombies.

Then the others were back, trying to slide a book shelf from his room across the opening, that meant the bodies on the floor had to move and he had to push the others back enough they could fit it over the opening. He went back to stabbing, he killed another one and was shoving it out the window when Mrs. Ebina appeared behind him and started helping, but she was shooting, the window was suddenly a lot more empty, as she was able to shoot the ones further back meaning the ones they had held up but that were already dead could start falling. With her help he was able to clear it enough everyone with the book shelf could move it in to place.

Then it was almost silent for a second as the implications of his Father being bit sunk in, he looked around and saw tired, scared faces. Yuzu was crying, Will, he and Chad were covered in blood. Orihime was shaking and crying in the corner, Ishida had gone to her and was hugging her. Mrs. Ebina was breathing in a controlled manner he recognized as someone trying to calm down. Shin was clearly in shock and shaking and as far as Ichigo remembered he had done absolutely nothing to help them fight off the Zombies. Masao was leaning against the wall, eyes wide and tremors clear in his hands as he ran them through his hair. Kenji was leaning against the book shelf stopping it from rattling under the Zombies' hits, Ichigo was pretty sure he had done most the heavy lifting bringing it down the stairs.

Ichigo met his dad gaze, his dad was putting pressure on the wound on his arm but Ichigo knew he would turn at some point or another, he and the others knew Orihime couldn't heal whatever made you turn, mostly because she couldn't treat sicknesses. Ichigo spoke hating what he would say next, "We clearly can't stay much longer."

Shin was the only one to protest, "What are you talking about we can't go out there! Your crazy man!"

Before he could speak up, his dad spoke, "Well you can't stay here, the bookcase won't hold forever and I have been bitten and I will turn at some point or another!"

Yuzu sobbed louder, Ichigo closed his eyes before asking, "Dad are you offering to give us time?"

"That is exactly what I'm offering, I don't want you kids to see me turn and have to kill me so I suggest we pick an opening and I let them in and start killing them off, they'll come flooding around to that side like they did when the window was open, and you guys make a break for it on the other side of the house."

Ichigo didn't open his eyes as he rubbed the bridge of his nose, it made it a little easier not to look at him. "One problem, the clinic makes the most sense because they'll have to go through there to get to you giving us more time, but the front door is on that side of the house too." He let that sink in for the others, "Ishida, Orihime. How many could you carry if we left out the back window in Yuzu and Karin's room?"

He opened his eyes as the two thought about it, Ishida spoke up, "Maybe two, plus me." He nodded and looked to Orihime, she wiped at her tears and spoke up. "Four plus me."

Ichigo looked around the room, they would leave his dad, Chad could take care of getting himself out the window without injury, that meant... "Orihime you'll have to take the girls, and Masao, Ishida take Kenji, and Will, me and Shin will just have to jump... unless Chad you can take Shin?"

"I think so."

Ichigo nodded, "Okay.." He looked to his dad, his dad smiled, but it quickly turned into a grimace, "Ichigo leave me a baseball bat, a knife, and which ever type of gun has the least amount of bullets."

Ichigo nodded, but Yuzu threw herself at their father, she hugged his stomach and judging by his stagger she was hugging pretty hard. Karin followed her twin and joined her in the hug, Ichigo took charge of the others, well the three said goodbye. "Okay Kenji I want you to gather up all the canned goods and dried food, make a pile on the kitchen floor, Mrs. Ebina please help my sisters gather up their backpacks, empty them of everything in them, then I want them to have a change of clothes, clean socks and everything, they can have their toothbrushes and toothpaste, along with some shampoo, and they need to have their jackets. Then they fill the bags up the rest the way with food, if you can find some sort of bag that won't interfere with your fighting go ahead and grab it, actually think you could take my backpack?"

She nodded.

"Okay take it grab some sort of soap, bar or shampoo I don't care, then grab the first aid kit from under the sink, we never know when we might need it, and try to find flashlights enough for everyone if you can, then all the batteries, and fill the rest with food. Oh and check the closet we might have some sort of jacket that fits you. Chad and Masao find anything and everything you think might be useful, anything. Then use... Either the picnic bag or see if you can find another while you look, and think about grabbing some blankets. Will and Shin guard the doors and bookcase incase they try to get in ahead of the plan, Everyone take the time to clean yourselves up, we don't know when our next stop will be. Oh and absolutely everyone needs to find something to carry water in."

Ichigo then headed for his room, he was going to change clothes, not that he expected them to stay clean for long, and use the bathroom wash the blood off and everything, then he was going to try to find a better bag then the laundry one, it took up one hand and banged around bruising his back. Once he was clean and redressed he even put his shoes on tucking a knife in his sock, his pocket knife in his pocket and the others found themselves taped on else where on his body. He then went to public closet and started rooting around, Chad and Masao had clearly already gone through grabbing stuff as half the blankets were gone, along with the gallon cooler for water, and some stuff he likely didn't notice missing. But he found something that made him cringe, he found an old, long out of style fanny-pack, and if he didn't need something to keep his hands free he would have dropped it down stairs and let someone else use it.

It was pretty big all things considered, he went back to his room and stuffed two pairs of socks along with three pairs of underwear in, normally he mocked people for being such girls, but he had no clue how long till he would be able to get some clean clothes, and there was just something wrong with being covered in Zombie blood. He added the ducktape and his water bottle from school to the bag, then he went to the bathroom and grabbed his toothbrush and some dental floss, he would just use the toothpaste his sisters have. He went down stairs, his dad and Will were guarding the bookcase that was rattling ominously, Shin stood by the clinic door, the Zombies were back to banging on it. "Go get ready yourselves, I'll take over, if nothing else I call you if they break through."

Will nodded and left heading for the bathroom, and Shin headed for the kitchen where the girls and Chad were. Ichigo met his dad's eyes, his dad's eyes were sad but ready. "Ichigo I am so proud of you, I know you'll get your sisters out of here and I know you'll do your best to get the entire group out too. You've become a good man."

Ichigo blinked hard, feeling the burn of tears in his eyes, his father had never said that in all the times he thought he had proved himself to his dad, he had never said that, not when he saved the city, never. "Dad..." Ichigo swallowed, embarrassed by the crack.

"It's okay son, I never was any good at talking, and after... after your mom died I got even worse, you never had a chance, but I know I've probably taught you everything you need to know aside from that."

"I wish you didn't have to do this."

"It's okay, I messed up and I'm just glad I can make up for it."

"Dad..."

"Don't say it, I know, you just make sure your sisters make it."

Ichigo nodded, and just as quick as that just about everyone was in the living room. "Okay let make sure everyone has a water bottle." Everyone raised some sort of bottle, his sisters, and Chad along with Mrs. Ebina were the ones with a proper bottle, the others had a mix of soda bottles and milk jugs, but everyone had something.

"Matches?"

Chad nodded.

"Blankets, food, toothbrushes, first aid kit, and everyone is fully armed right?"

The group nodded as a whole, or at least no one said nay. Ichigo nodded, "Okay who has Shuji's hand gun?"

Mrs. Ebina passed it forward, "Okay great can you go over it with my dad and then leave all the ammo, the rest of us need to go upstairs and make sure Yuzu and Karin's window is best."

He lead the way up the stairs and to their room and was horrified to find out the fight close to the window meant the backyard was swarming, there was little to no visible ground. He lead the way to his room, where they were able to see the ground, not that there wasn't loads of Zombies but you could see the ground between Zombies.

"My god, the whole neighbor hood has to be out there." Karin breathed.

Ichigo didn't disagree, as a matter of fact he was taking care not look close at the faces, because he didn't want to see people he knew once as Zombies. "Okay, Ishida, Orihime, Chad go over to that burned spot." he pointed the block over where you could see broken and burnt houses for at least three square blocks. "Over there we'll have plenty of room to see Zombies coming and time to out run them."

"One small problem, how are we getting over there?" Will asked confused as to how they would span two hundred yards at least without running into Zombies.

Ichigo looked at the others, they looked between the rest, Ichigo sighed, "Look I don't care if you believe us or not but they have the ability to walk on air, Chad is lucky most the time to move himself, or that was the case last I knew... Well Orihime's isn't so much walk as move an area but close enough. But any way they'll take you over there. Speaking of which, I assume your powers don't work on them, I know Dad's didn't."

They all nodded slowly, Chad spoke up flexing his arm. "I could knock them back but that was about all it did."

Ichigo nodded, he had expected that. But he didn't expect Karin to catch on to the one small problem with the plan, "Ichigo what about you? You won't be able to get over there, how will you get out!"

Everyone looked to him with surprised eyes, the three all looked faintly guilty they hadn't realized, but Yuzu started crying, "Onii-chan you can't leave me... You can't."

Ichigo sighed, and knelt next to Yuzu wanting her to look at him, "Yuzu I won't, and as for the getting out, I'll jump but I'll go last so dad's distraction will limit the numbers and I can run pretty fast for a normal human. The rest of you don't worry, you trusted me once to protect myself, I can do it again so none of you come back for me, just let me catch up." Chad stared long and hard into his eyes, weighing his determination, then he gave one short and quick nod. Orihime chewed on her lip but gave him a quick nod, Ichigo looked to Ishida he got a smirk and a challenge, "Don't let your weak ass fall behind."

Ichigo snorted, "Yeah like I'd let your lame Quincy ass kick mine."

Everyone in the know snorted, Ichigo stood back up, and patted Yuzu's arm. "I'm going to say good bye to dad, and get Mrs. Ebina up here, Chad go first, then Orihime you go next, then you Ishida and then I'll hop out the window and catch up."

Everyone nodded, and Ichigo turned around left the room, unwillingly letting his worry show through for a split second. Not that there was anyone in front of him to see, he went down the stairs in time to hear Mrs. Ebina talking to his father; "...You are very brave to do this, I can only hope we can make it worth it."

Ichigo stepped the rest the way into the room, "Mrs. Ebina the others are in my room I'll be up in a moment."

Her streaked hair moved as she nodded and gracefully left the room heading up the stairs. Ichigo watched her go before he turned to his dad, he was horrified to see how much his dad's condition had deteriorated, where once a whole and hearty man stood, now stood a weak shivering, pale wasted man. "Dad..."

"It's okay son, it's better I die getting you and sisters out of here and then I die and make you kill me. I hope to give you five to ten minutes."

"Thanks dad, I... I love you. Do you want help moving the bookshelf?" he rushed, not wanting his dad to say more.

His dad understood judging by the soft smile, "Yeah help me get it to the side enough I can move it the rest the way, I plan to get the first few with the bat."

Ichigo nodded and they went over and shoved the bookcase aside, the noise seemed to have drawn Zombies back to the door, because the door to the clinic was back to shuddering. "Go Ichigo, go upstairs and get everyone out, from here on I'll cover you."

Ichigo nodded and dashed up the stairs, fighting a burn in his eyes and heart, he ignored the small voice that said he should have been the one bit, he should be the one fighting, he knew too damn well his dad could handle himself. Ichigo made it to his room and swiftly nodded to Chad, Chad grabbed Shin who had one last moment of cowardice, he tried to fight going out the window, Chad just slung him over his shoulder like he had the former laundry bag, and then Chad leapt. Ichigo watched amused and a little jealous, he knew how it looked to the others, Chad was walking close to twenty feet in the air like he would on sidewalk, but Ichigo could see the small shimmer of Spiritual power, and he was jealous because once upon a time he could have covered that distance in two steps.

Chad touched down and Orihime climbed out the window on to her Shun Shun Rikka, Ichigo asked Karin to help the others out on to it, knowing she was the only one who was getting on who could see it to help, Mrs. Ebina was the first out and then Yuzu followed, then Karin climbed out and helped Masao out, then Orihime carried the small convoy out to the meeting spot where Chad and Shin waited. Ishida grabbed Will and Kenji, and that was when they heard the first gun shot. The three paused and looked back, Ichigo waved them on and Ishida leapt from the window, Ichigo watched them get half way across to the burned out spot, and then he stopped watching. He leaned out the window and looked down, "Damn it." He scowled, the mass hoard had migrated to the front of the house and clinic, but there was still a line running along the outside of the house, they were aimlessly smashing into the house like they were trying to break the walls down so they could get to his dad. Ichigo gritted his teeth and climbed up on to the window sill, he took a deep breath and leapt.

For a split second he feared he was falling, and then he realized he was standing in thin air, he almost whooped, but he remembered how little power he had and started running, he got four steps from the house before he began to sink, he kept running, and slowly hit the ground. He was clear of the Zombies but not by much, he took off running, he couldn't see the others any more so he was hoping they hadn't seen that, he didn't want to tell them he had slowly been getting his powers back and hadn't seen fit to tell them. He ran glad his dad was still shooting so none of the Zombies were the least bit interested in following him, he vaulted the last fence between him and his friends.

He reached the group only to have Yuzu pounce on him, giving him an almost back breaking hug, he just patted her shoulder and just as she let go, the house exploded.

**xoxoxo**

Isshin watched his son run up the stairs, Ichigo's face grimmer then it had been at the end of the winter war, he wished he didn't have to face such a horrible world alone, but he had long realized his son was touched by the hand of fate and could never be coddled. He heard him reach his room and so he opened the door to the clinic, he used the bat on the one nearest the door, and then on the next Zombie to lunge at him. Then he lowered the bat and leveled the gun shooting the one three feet away, it took him two shots but it went down, he then shot the next in just one, even with only three shots off the Zombies were crowding in to the clinic pushing others forward faster. Isshin shot till the gun clicked empty, he then stepped back inside and shut the door, buying time to reload the clip. He did finish reloading the clip and stepped back towards the kitchen, he had a plan about how to kill himself and the hopefully all zombies in the house and a fair number on the street, he knew he didn't want to die enough to shoot himself in the head, so he planned to empty the gun and then turn on the stove, filling the house with gas, then he'd use the mostly empty lighter. Buying enough time for everyone to get out but ensuring not many Zombies would follow. The door broke down and for a split second he closed his eyes before opening them, ready to do his best to save his children.

"Here I come Masaki."

**xoxoxo**

Ichigo stared at the house in shock, the force even from so far away had almost knocked him over, he tore he gaze away from the house and the flaming zombies that didn't seem to notice they were falling apart. The others were staring at the house in surprise and shock, Yuzu had tears streaming down her face and she wasn't blinking enough, Karin was just as shocked but she wasn't crying, she didn't quite seem able to believe their father had blown himself up. Orihime had her fist in her mouth but Ichigo wasn't sure why, Ishida was coming out of it and meeting his gaze, Chad was on the look out for Zombies coming towards them, Will was reaching for Mrs. Ebina who had actually fallen over and then stayed down on the ground, surprise at what Isshin had done to distracted the Zombies and stop himself from turning overwhelming her. Shin was shaking the fear of what had happened making him almost useless, Masao was guarding their back but Ichigo noticed the tremors it his shoulders. Kenji was staring into the flame, a certain intensity to his gaze that made Ichigo wonder if the fight was more real for him now.

"Lets go." Ichigo spoke without conscious command of his mouth he just knew they needed to get out of there before more were drawn in by the boom and crackling flame.

Yuzu opened her mouth to protest but stopped, she slowly nodded, Ichigo looked around everyone was on their feet, now where was the fastest way out? He mentally shrugged, and took off towards the down the east heading street, the others followed.

**An Hour Later**

"Come on man we got to stop." Shin whined.

Ichigo didn't bother looking at the annoying man over to his left, since they had left the house he had done almost nothing but whine, and it seemed like every time he opened his mouth the Zombies heard him and came running. Ichigo swung his crowbar almost taking the head off the Zombie he hit, he glanced around Chad on his right, Will on his left, the three of them seemed to be the best and most efficient fighters so they took point. Shin was hanging around almost trying to push his way to the front but he seemed to be pretty useless except for attracting Zombies. Mrs. Ebina and Masao were covering the back Yuzu, Karin and Orihime were hanging about in the middle of the group Kenji was firmly on the right side but not trying to push forward, he seemed happy to have a group where he didn't have to fight much, and he didn't talk much either. Ishida was behind Shin but guarding Orihime and the girls much better then Shin.

"Will you stop complaining? We'll stop when I think there might be some place safe to stop." Ichigo hissed back.

Shin huffed as they pushed through the Zombies coming over from the side street to their left, proving once again Shin's annoying voice sounded appetizing to them, and Ichigo was tempted to say if he didn't shut up they could have him. Then for the first time since they left the house they used a gun, and in that instant everything changed, the Zombies seemed a lot more purposeful almost like they now knew there was more then one little whiner. The sudden change scared Shin, and the rest were working a lot harder to keep moving forward, Ichigo realized guns were a bad choice to use when you were out and about on the street, it likely would be so bad if you had something like a wall or a bottle neck, but out on the ground all it did was light up a sign saying here we are come and get us. "No guns!"

Who ever had been shooting stopped, but it was a bit late the ones that had been close were going nuts and Ichigo could see up the street Zombies pouring towards them, so he made the call. "Towards that building!" He lead the charge, cutting down the dozen or so zombies to the door, he then helped rush Shin and then the girls, into the building. Everyone but Masao was right at the door, Will and Chad were helping keep the way clear, Kenji was holding the door open, Ishida was inside helping the girls get rid of the few Zombies inside the office building, but Masao had been getting slower and slower his age taking a toll on the seemingly fit man.

"Come on!" he waved, torn between running out to help and staying with the group.

Masao run half stumbling, stabbing at the Zombies too close, but the cleared space was closing faster then the man was running, and the sight of the approaching hoard stilled Ichigo's impulse to run out there. Then it happened, a Zombies grabbed his arm and it hadn't even bit into his arm yet when Masao started screaming, the Zombies swarmed around him hiding what happened next from their view, Ichigo and the others had no choice but to pull back into the building. Ichigo took a risk, he stopped them from moving deeper into the building, "Okay, we need to chose where we're going, do we go up stairs and try to wait it out, or do we try to find a back exit?"

"Get out." Karin said, Yuzu nodded.

Ichigo looked around, the group most seemed to agree, except for Shin, "Okay deeper in we go." Ichigo took point again, and lead them at a fast jog down the hall, he was glad for the most part that it was empty, and as bad as he felt about letting Masao down he had to admit with him gone they might move faster, he just wished if anyone had gone down it had been Shin. They did their best to make sure the doors they passed were locked so no more Zombies could spill out on them, but some of the locked rooms clearly still had Zombies in them, the random pounding and low groans told them that much.

Ichigo could handle that, but the muttering coming from Shin was driving him nuts, finally he turned, "Shin shut the hell up!" he hissed.

The group had stopped when he turned around, but at his words Ichigo noticed most everyone else nodding, Shin however got an offended look on his face. "Who the hell made you leader! You've be bossing everyone around and you got that old guy killed!"

He also once again proved he didn't have the prudence to keep his voice down.

Ichigo wanted to growl, not only was the idiot loud, he said his dad dying was his fault, he was the one who was talking and drawing more Zombies in towards them! "How the hell is it my fault you won't shut your mouth for one second? And in case you haven't notice no one else has a problem with me making the calls!" He kept his voice low, just above a whisper.

Shin scowled, "Shut the hell up man, you're gonna get us all killed!"

Ichigo looked around he had heard the down down the way they still had to go fall open slamming into the wall, he looked back to Shin, "Fine, we get of here and you go your own way, but you have to give us the food your carrying."

Shin let out a squawk, not expecting that, "No way man it's mine!"

Ichigo glanced over his shoulder, the Zombies were visibly making their way towards them, "Fine keep it." Ichigo knew they could let it go, Shin wasn't carrying much anyway, the twins, Chad, and Mrs. Ebina had most of it. He lead the way as they started running down the corridor away from the loosed Zombies. Ishida was holding Orihime's arm as they ran making sure she didn't fall, Ichigo glanced over his shoulder, once again impressed with Mrs. Ebina, she was keeping rather well, and she had a hold of Yuzu's hand. Karin was just running, used to this from playing soccer.

They turned a corner and Ichigo saw a sign for the exit, he ran for it, then he held the door for everyone else, Kenji being the last out. They stood catching their breaths in a service alley, then Shin surprised them all, he grabbed Yuzu and placed a gun to her chin. Yuzu froze, her breath shuddering out of her in a whine. Ichigo felt his breath freeze and he straighten, lifting his hand, and sliding forward a step.

"Stop where you are."

Ichigo froze where he was, his eyes locked with Shin's; Who's eyes were oddly calm for a guy with a gun to a girl's head, of course the gun wasn't one of the ones they had gotten, so Shin had to have the gun on him from the start. Then he noticed from the corner of his eye Kenji maneuvering around Shin, to a point where Shin would have to turn his head to even see him. He blinked and saw Kenji nod, he couldn't see but Chad nodded back and maneuvered a little more the the right almost giving them flanking, but Shin didn't noticed his eyes were locked with Ichigo's.

"You are such an arrogant ass Kurosaki, bossing me around, even at the house with your Father there you were the one giving orders. I take orders from no one, after all I didn't get where I am now by following them."

Ichigo nodded slowly, he didn't know what Kenji was planing but hopefully it would get his sister free, because he had a feeling no matter what he agreed to the guy was going to shoot her anyway. "Right... You don't live Karakura in the Kitakawase district and you don't own a small grocery store there, you're a smuggler."

The man cocked his head, "How clever of you, I thought for sure you had bleached all the brains from your head."

Ichigo felt his eyebrow twitch, "I know it's orange, but it's natural, honestly."

"Do you really care about your hair while I have a gun to your sister's head?" Shin caressed the gun up and down her cheek for emphasis.

Ichigo shrugged, "No, just thought I'd point out the fact I couldn't have bleached my brains out."

Shin opened his mouth to say more but Kenji lunged seeing the gun was pointed more down then at Yuzu's head, he grabbed Shin's wrist and forced the gun towards the ground, it went off. Ichigo lunged and pulled Yuzu away, Chad grabbed Shin's another hand stopping him from punching Kenji, but Shin was stronger then he looked, he got his hand up and squeezed the trigger, Kenji fell back leaving Chad to struggle with him. Chad twisted the gun away from him but Shin stupidly squeezed the trigger, shooting himself. he stopped fighting and looked up at them shocked, and then he fell over, revealing he had shot himself in the femoral artery if the amount of blood was anything to go by, less then ten seconds and his jean leg was covered in blood. The gun fell from his hand as he clasp both his hands over the wound, his eyes glassy he looked up at them. But not one of them moved forward, even Orihime stood by silently, Ichigo looked over the Kenji, he had his hands over his chest, but the spreading blood stain told it's own story, Ichigo swiftly went over and knelt next to man.

"Thank you." he looked him in the eyes, Kenji smiled, abet pained but smiled, "You're welcome, I always wanted to do the right thing, I just never did before now..." he broke off the panting, blood bubbling at the corner of his mouth. "Take his bag and mine, and go the gun shots have drawn them." His head nodded towards the alley leading to the main street.

Ichigo saw the Zombies coming and saw Chad leave the corner of his eye, "Thank you." Kenji nodded, and then exhaled one last time. Ichigo took his hand from the wound not noticing the blood, he grabbed Kenji's bag and stood, "Lets go." He took point again, leading the way through the Zombies, up the alley and away from the two cooling bodies. The group was perfectly silent for the next half an hour, till Ichigo called break: He used the public water fountain to wash Kenji's blood from his hands and then gave Yuzu a hug, she hugged him back hard, he was forced to bite back a hiss as his back once again reminded him of how badly it was bruised. Ishida noticed though, "What's wrong with your back Kurosaki?"

Ichigo sighed, "I bruised it yesterday, no worries just got to be careful."

Then a voice they weren't expecting to hear broke though the new silence, "Figures." Tatsuki stepped out from behind a door, "Zombies take over the city, and the only other survivors that aren't crazy nuts are you guys."

"Tatsuki!" Orihime ran over and gave her a hug, Ichigo nodded, noting her black eye, she had run into as much trouble as them. "We've met our fair share of crazies. How long you been running?"

"Since twelve or so yesterday. I tried to team up with a couple but... it didn't end well, got to a wall on the north-east side, it was a mess. So I ditched the other guy I had met up with, and ran around till I ended up here."

Ichigo nodded, "When'd you last sleep?"

Tatsuki thought about it, "I got five or so hours this morning, from one till six, and then I was on the run again, but anyway I'm good for a couple more hours, however a snack would be nice."

Yuzu stepped forward and passed her a package of pocky, she took it and dug in, half way through she looked at the water fountain he had sullied, and gave him a frown. He rolled his eyes and passed his bottle forward, he had refilled it before washing his hands anyway. He looked around, Orihime looked tired, and his sisters weren't much better, Mrs. Ebina looked fine but what did he know? Chad and Will seemed like him tired but not overly so. He frowned, they needed some place to spend the night, he checked the group again and realized everyone was done eating so he told them what he was thinking, "We need to cross the bridge, get to the other side of the city, then we find a new apartment complex and find the example rooms, then we spend whatever is left of the night."

Everyone nodded, "Sounds good," Will agreed.

Tatsuki looked at him suspiciously, "Who are you?"

"Will Trenton."

Ichigo butted in here, he could now hear groans not that far away, "Tatsuki he's been great so far, so lets get going, we have something like a mile just to get to the bridge, and it's already past six."

She nodded, and joined him at point, Chad on his other side, Will and Mrs. Ebina taking rear, everyone else in the center, and they set off, it took the most of an hour, and then they were able to cross the bridge, from there they set out heading for a new and expensive set of apartments. They were maybe eight blocks away when things went south, Ichigo was startled to see a Soul Reaper standing over a body almost seeming to look at it confused, he half recognized the bun and thought he should know her name, but it wouldn't come out, luckily for him Ishida of all people knew her. He strode forward and reached out grabbing her shoulder, "Hinamori-san?"

She turned and Ichigo felt the hair's on his neck rise, old blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and her eyes were cloudy, she was a zombie. Ishida was too surprised to react quickly enough, she bit down on his wrist. Ishida yelped struggling to pulled away, she tore a chunk from his arm and blood spurted in a way Ichigo thought she had bitten down to the artery, but he was too surprised to react. Ishida tried to pull away but her arms wrapped around him and pulled him down to her height, she bit down on his neck. Ichigo belated realized Orihime was screaming, he didn't know what to do, he didn't have enough powers to kill a Soul anymore.

Chad rushed forward, he punched Hinamori in the head, there was a sickening snap as her face crumpled around his fist and her neck snapped, she fell bonelessly. Chad grabbed Ishida helping him sit down, Orihime rushed forward throwing herself next to him, she was crying loudly and Ichigo knew Zombies had to have heard her, but he couldn't make his mouth work. A Soul Reaper, not even one in a fake body, had turned into a Zombie, and more then that; His friend, one he had fought together with, one he would have died for was going to turn into a Zombie. Orihime raised her shield trying to heal him, but the wounds didn't react, Ishida bled faster if anything. Ichigo found himself next to Ishida, Ishida was trying to talk, but all that would come was blood, he had bitten his tongue Ichigo realized.

Then Ishida went limp, Orihime wailed louder, Tatsuki tugged at her shoulder trying to get her to turn away, but Orihime was fighting her. Her shield vanished and she threw herself at Ishida pulling him into her lap, still screaming that he couldn't leave her. Ichigo stood, "Orihime hush, we need to go."

He went to speak again but looked up around him, and realized Zombies were closing in, their groans growing more and more over whelming, then Ishida came back, he grabbed Orihime's arm and bit down, her screams turned from ones of grief, to ones of pain. Tatsuki swore, and kicked at him only to have him try to bit at her foot. Ichigo started knocking down the Zombies closed to him, but he knew they would soon be over whelmed, the ones he was killing were just the first. Then with a whoosh an arrow buried it's self in the Zombie in front of him, it fell shaft quivering in the eye socket.

**Kagome 7:47 p.m.**

She silently slipped passed Zombies stumbling into the walls of the narrow alley, she had crossed the bridge half an hour ago, well her and her new friend. She peaked over her shoulder, wishing she could see what the kitten was doing in her bag, she still couldn't believe the only living thing she had seen and been able to help was a tiny kitten. She had heard other groups with guns fending off Zombies but she hadn't wanted to get close with them drawing in so many Zombies. So she had nearly screamed when out of the blue she saw green eyes staring at her from under a dumpster, she had convinced the kitten to leave the relative safety of under the dumpster and slipped her in her backpack, the only pocket with nothing in it to be exact. And the kitten had only made a sound once, three hours ago when she had squeaked, and Kagome had to run a block and a half before slipping into a home, luckily they had had a cat at some point so her new friend had gotten to drink and eat and use the bathroom while she did the same.

Kagome at the moment was looking for a place to crash for the night, it was coming up on eight and she was tired, having to be so quiet seemed to drain her. She then jumped when a scream from less then two blocks away rang out, she hadn't known she was so close to some other survivors. She started walking quicker, maybe this time she would be able to save someone.

She nearly ran the two blocks, just in time to see the crying girl get bit, she winced, killed by someone you loved, ouch. She then saw him. It was fireworks and everything she had thought she had with Inuyasha, only twice as strong, his orange hair waved brightly in the dim light as he fought the on coming hoard, his group was fighting, all except the girl trying to free the girl who was still screaming. Her eyes went back to him. She wanted to groan, why now? Why here? Why now at the worst possible moment did she have to meet the one? Her eyes ran over him again, broad shoulders, running down into the nicest ass she had ever seen on a man, the ass turning into long strong muscled legs. Her eyes drifted back up again, his hair, it was begging her to run hands through it, and it was orange.

Oh well she herself knew and had said as much just the night before, she was into exotics.

She drew her bow back, and shot the Zombie coming up on him, she then turned and shot the boy biting the screaming girl, she then put the poor screamer to rest, she had been bitten twice and likely would have turned in minutes, she just hoped her guy would understand. She shot five more Zombies before dashing out of the alleyway, she saw the whole group was staring, the girl who had been trying to save the other girl, was staring tears running down her face.

When she realized the whole group, even her man of action was staring she waved, "Come on standing around is gonna get you killed!" Then she took off for the far side of the alley, the way she had cleared when shooting her five Zombies.

She heard them following so she shushed them, "If you can hear yourself you likely being too loud." she then ducked out to another side street leading them three or four blocks to a nice fancy set of apartments she had seen, she figured it looked new enough to mostly empty. She paused inside the main lobby, she listened but didn't hear anything, "Okay..." She went to the map on the wall that explained the apartment set up, she went to the pent house that was listed as show rooms. She then ignored the curious eyes, and headed for the elevator, they piled in and Kagome got a better look at the group; An older lady, who was carrying a couple of hand guns and knives, two girls that might be twins, the blonde one of the two seemed tense, even a little fearful. The other was watching her, Kagome half grinned, she could see Souta liking her. The big guy, she wasn't sure what ethnicity he was, but pure japanese wasn't it, and his tattoo was in a language she didn't know. Then the other guy the second oldest of the group she was guessing, was clearly American, but he seemed comfortable both with where he was and with his guns. Then to the girl who was glaring holes in her, she probably wasn't pure japanese, her tanned skin didn't fit, but she moved like a marshal artist, Kagome needed to be careful with her.

She then left her eyes drift to _him_, he was leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, he was watching her but he didn't seem angry, just tired. She noticed he was carrying even more knives then her, she had to bite back a grin, not many guys in her experience were man enough to be comfortable using whatever came to hand, be it sword, gun, or tiny paring knife, they seemed to think how cool their weapon was defined them. The silence up to the twentieth floor would have been intimidating if Kagome had cared, when she knew for sure they were out of hearing range of any Zombies she would talk, the elevator dinged.

Kagome peered out, nothing ran, stumbled, or groaned at her, she lead the way out, checking each room. She noted he, and the American, and his large friend were following her, whether to make sure nothing happened to her, or to make sure she didn't pull anything she wasn't sure. When she was sure there was absolutely nothing she relaxed grinning at the guys, then she lead the way to where the other half their group was. The first thing she heard when she reached the room was the marshal artist girl swearing to the others she was going to kill her for killing Orihime. Kagome assumed that had been the girl she had shot.

She walked into the room, and the girl lunged for her, fist ready, Kagome caught her fist in both hands, she met the girl's eyes and said, "I'm sorry."

**Ichigo**

He leaned against the elevator wall, the cool glass almost soothing, he was watching the new girl. She was six or so inches shorter then him, with black hair pulled back in a braid, with clear blue eyes unusual for someone of japanese decent. And for the situation she was very calm, and not just the Zombies thing, Tatsuki looked ready to kill her. Ichigo supposed he should have felt more for someone he had known for so long dying, but his dad had died, Ishida had died, and so had a hell of a lot of other people, why so much effort over one person?

Besides, she had been bitten, and if the new girl hadn't shot her, she would have died, eaten alive by Ishida's body, then she would have turned on them. Orihime would have hated that.

The elevator dinged, the new girl peered out, Ichigo followed her example, nothing moved but her, she slipped out walking on silent feet, bow ready. Ichigo looked back, everyone looked at him, he shrugged and followed, everyone following him. She was searching rooms, the first apartment they went into had a kitchen first then it bled into a living-dinning room combination, and off that there was four doors, one lead to a bathroom, the others other rooms, two bed rooms, one of the bed rooms had an attached bathroom, and the last room was an office. He followed her back into the main room, she left the apartment apparently intending to search the whole floor before she'd rest. Ichigo followed her out into the hall, she had the right idea, they would need the hall to get out and if it filled with Zombies because they weren't careful... they'd be screwed. Will and Chad followed him and he realized everyone was too, he turn back and whispered "Girls stay here, I think this floor is empty anyway, we're just making sure."

Yuzu and Karin nodded, Mrs. Ebina nodded before going to sit on the couch, she was more tired then he'd realized, Tatsuki nodded, but her face still looked pissed, Ichigo mentally winced, but at least she was waiting till it was safe to start ranting. He then follow the new girl as she went through every room on the whole floor, four were show rooms, eight were unused, and another six were being used as office space, but all of them were empty of Zombies. She smiled while they walked back seeming pleased there had been none, Ichigo noticed for the first time how pretty she was, he had noticed before sort of, but the smile brought it home. She was really pretty. Not the way Orihime had been pretty, and not like Rukia, but a kind of wild pretty, the I don't need you or anyone, but... Different. Rukia had the ice princess thing going, at least till you saw her throw a temper tantrum. Orihime had been soft, the I need you kind of girl. And Tatsuki, while her boyfriend might have argued but in his mind she wasn't even really a girl.

Then he heard Tatsuki's voice, she was ranting, he frowned, she was being unfair and latching on to one thing just like she always did. But the girl didn't hesitate, she walked right in and he followed her only to see Tatsuki lunge, he wanted to help but she was blocking the door way. Then she caught Tatsuki's fist, her hand holding the bow bracing her other with a the back of her hand, and she spoke, her voice soothing and faintly musical, "I'm sorry."

**Kagome 8:01 p.m.**

"Damn you! You can't just be sorry! You shot her in the head!"

Kagome wanted to sigh, she almost did, "I know, and I am really sorry it was necessary. But would she have wanted to become a Zombie and end up trying to eat other people?"

"No Orihime wouldn't have wanted that," a strong voice from behind her spoke up, she looked back and felt a little tremble in her knees, _he_ was looking her dead in the eye, his eyes were brown or more carmel-brown she decided, but he didn't seem angry, he understood. Kagome was surprised by how much her heart leaped at that, she was surprised but how happy she was to learn he wouldn't blame her.

She looked back to the girl, she was crying, tears streaming down her face, her fist seemed to wobble and she quickly pulled her hand free, hiding her face in her hands as she cried harder. _He _stepped past her, the brush of his hard body surprising her, she quickly stepped forward so the other two could get in. The other two came in the big guy shutting the door behind them, _He_ took the other girl by the shoulders and lead her to a chair where he sat her down, she sat still inconsolable, Kagome felt her heart twinge but knew anything else she could said would not be taken well.

She met the other's gazes, no one seemed to be the first one to start talking, till their leader, _him _was ready. He stood keeping a hand on her shoulder, comforting her without being too touchy, clearly they were long time friends or friendly ex-s, she bit down the jealously that thought invoked. He looked to her eyes still calm but tired, "And you are? After all we can't thank you properly without a name."

Kagome smiled, he had seemed to have a very sarcastic sense of humor, she liked that, "I'm Kagome Higurashi. I was here for a collage field trip, I am the only survivor for sure from my class, but I think a dozen or so others made out, I just was separated from them."

He nodded, "Well thank you for getting us out of there, I..." he cut himself off. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, those," he nodded his head to the three on the couch, "Are my two sisters Yuzu and Karin and my next door neighbor Mrs. Ebina, her husband is in China. I was a helping in my father's clinic when he," he jerked his head to the American leaning on a counter; "And two others brought a Zombie in. Long story short we found bunking down isn't a good idea."

Kagome nodded, "They are drawn to noise any at all, because that seems to be the only sense they have left."

Ichigo nodded, "I had noticed they seemed drawn to gun shots, thats why we weren't using them yet, but how do you know thats the only one they have left?"

Kagome grinned wryly, "If it wasn't I would be dead, I noticed they liked to swarm anyone running because their footsteps were loud, and if they were screaming they went down way faster then someone quiet, so I slowed down, which is why I'm not with the other group. But I bumped into one, knocked it over, and it never noticed. It didn't see me, it didn't feel me, and because I was too scared to scream it didn't hear me."

He nodded, "Okay, guns are not only last ditch attempt but maybe even don't bother grabbing more."

Kagome nodded, then smiled a touch sheepishly, "Can I get everyone else's names, Kurosaki-san?"

He looked startled before he shook his head "Sorry it's been a long day."

Kagome nodded, she understood that.

"So he's Sado Yasutora, I call him Chad, have since middle school." Kagome bowed politely to the big man, he bowed back deeper, Kagome felt her hands start fluttering, she wasn't used to that, but she clasp her hands stopping them and looked to the American as he was introduced, "That's Will Trenton, he was here on business. And she's," he pointed to the crying girl, "Tatsuki Arisawa."

Kagome nodded, and then she remembered why the name seemed familiar. "Oh she's a marshal artist champion."

Ichigo looked at her, "Yeah she is, but how did you know?"

Kagome shook her head, "My younger brother, he got into marshal arts at fifteen."

Ichigo nodded, then asked, "Where do you live?"

Kagome sighed, "I lived in Tokyo, and honestly I want to to go there before getting out to the wall."

Ichigo nodded, his gaze skeptical, she knew what he was thinking, she would die trying to find her brother and whoever else she was looking for, but at least he had the sense to not say anything. Kagome spoke up the next most important thing, "You guys don't mind cats right?"

Everyone looked at her surprised, she just shrugged off her bag and un-zipped the pocket the rest the way, pulling out a gray striped kitten, who blinked sleepily in the lights at the new people. The blonde one of the twins she wasn't sure if she was Yuzu or Karin but she was enamored with the kitten, she scooped her and started cuddling the surprised kitten. "Where'd you get her?"

Kagome smiled, "I found her under a dumpster, I was surprised when I saw her green eyes staring at me, it took me a while but I got her out from underneath, and I dropped her in my bag." She paused watching the girl, the girl was stressed from whatever had happened before she had joined up, and needed something to do. "How about I give her to you?"

The blonde looked up at her eyes far to wide and serious for a nineteen year old, not that she had been any different at that age and younger, "Really? But I don't have any food..."

Kagome smiled, "Neither did I till I stopped at a house to use their bathroom and found they had cat food, let me give you my old bag, and you can carry the kitten and her food, and still carry your other bag."

She knelt the rest the way down and pulled out the bag she had kept having a feeling she'd need it, then she pulled out the packets of wet food she had found, she also handed the girl the water bottle she had grabbed from the fridge for the kitten. The girl packed the food up in the bag and still carrying the kitten went back to sitting with her twin, the twin who had seen something in her interactions with the girl's twin. Kagome sighed, "Okay I give, which one of you is Yuzu and which one is Karin?"

The blonde spoke a grin coming easier to her face, "I'm Yuzu!" the brunette nodded, "So obviously I'm Karin." The latter twin clearly shared her bother's sense of humor, Kagome smiled, "Thank you for taking care of the kitten."

Yuzu nodded, her shyness coming back, "Thank you giving her to me."

The silence came back, Kagome decided to break it, "Well since there are more then enough beds I claim the queen!"

That started everyone staring, she shrugged, "What? I like the big bed. And has everyone here eaten?"

They shrugged or shook their head, Kagome nodded, "Right, I don't know what you have in your bags, but if it's food I'll cook if I can have some too..."

They all looked at one another and nodded, dropping their bags to the floor, Kagome heard cans and what sounded like crinkles of bags, and she knew she would be able to make a dinner fit for kings.

**7:00 a.m. Next Day**

Kagome woke, she wasn't sure what woke her but something did, she sat up and listened, she had felt safe enough the night before to take her shoes and coat off, she had even stripped off her shirt and washed it, opting to sleep in a bra, her cleaner one at that, her other bra and her two panties getting washed, and set out to dry with her top. Whatever woke her was worrying enough she felt the need to get dressed, she had showed the night before, washing all the dried blood and other muck she had accumulated during the day. She pulled her dried shirt on, and walked over to the door listening, she heard nothing, which was bothersome she should be able to hear Ichigo, as he had asked her to call him, he snored, lightly but every sixth or seventh breath he gave a little snore. And she couldn't hear it now, he had opted to sleep near his sisters who were sharing the other room, she wasn't clear why but he seemed to think they might need him. That was till she heard them crying with on him about their father, from what she had gathered he died to save them, she had almost wanted to cry, this and all the death, no wonder Yuzu was so freaked.

She opened the door, nope he wasn't on the couch and the twins weren't in their room, she slipped barefoot out into the hall, once out there she immediately knew what woke her, Tatsuki was shouting. She slipped to the outside of the door, and listened, Tatsuki was still shouting over Ichigo, "No! NO! NO! You can't be serious! HOW THE...! HOW CAN YOU EVEN THINK...! How Can you do that to.. How can you disrespect Orihime's memory like that?"

"Tatsuki! You're being ridiculous! Orihime would have let Higurashi join right away, she wouldn't have thought twice, and now that she's dead even at Kagome's hand, you think that would change anything?"

"Maybe not... BUT We'll never know, because shes dead!"

Ichigo sighed, "Tatsuki, I don't care you hate her, but she's a valuable ally, and face it with zombies out there one more person at your back is a good thing. Besides she's proven she's a good shot, she's smart, and she is perfectly willing to carry her own weight. You saw the vote everyone but you said yes to letting her stay, so she's staying with us as long as she wants and that's the end of it!"

Kagome felt her heart warm, even if he didn't seem to have noticed she was a girl, and a pretty one if she dared say so herself, he appreciated her more then Inuyasha ever had. She heard chairs moving and ran back, she needed to finished dressing so she could make breakfast, however it seemed likely it would be instant ramen. By the time the twins were back she had her shoes on, coat, and had even re-braided her hair. Yuzu went to take a shower while Karin walked over, petting Sasha, as Yuzu had named the kitten, who was eating her breakfast on the counter safe from big feet. "Instant Raman?"

Kagome laughed, she had gotten so used to Inuyasha having some breakfast, lunch, and dinner that it still even after years seemed funny when others complained. "I thought it would work best because we have a source of heat and water here, don't know where we'll next find that."

Karin nodded, that making sense to her. She spoke up, something seeming to bother her, "Why'd you give Yuzu Sasha?"

Kagome sighed, "Some times you need something weaker then yourself to protect to grow stronger."

Karin's dark eyes met her own calculating, "You've fought and killed before haven't you? And I... what you just said sounds like something Onii-chan would have said."

Kagome winced, she had thought the younger girl had seen something the night before, now she had a clue what. "What gave it away for you?"

"The look you had on your face when Tatsuki tried to punch you, and the way you looked at Yuzu and zoomed in on her. You knew from the moment you saw her she needed something or she was going to go to pieces, you knew something had happened... and that only comes from experience."

Kagome decided to tell her only the safe bits, "I had a friend who was almost raped, the only reason she wasn't was she accidentally killed him. Our other friends couldn't take knowing she had killed someone, I as you guessed understood a little too well. How and why I can't say, but I will tell you you're right, I have killed."

Karin nodded, "You're cool, I'd let you date Ichigo."

Kagome jumped spilling water on her wrist, "What?"

She got a dry look while she rushed to the sink to rinse her wrist, cooling the burn, "You think I noticed the rest of that and hadn't noticed the way you look at him? No, you pass, you could likely understand him better then most if he let you in. But it is an if. After what happened his first year of high school he has some issues with making friends, not that he was good at it before, but he got a lot worse."

Kagome nodded, slowly, "Right..." She shook her head and handed Karin an instant ramen cup, "Eat up." She left the kitchen heading for the boy's room and then on down to Mrs. Ebina's, she knocked on the boy's door, she found a bit more then she bargained for, Ichigo opened the door but he was shirtless.

Well to be more precise his shirt was in his hand, he just hadn't put it on yet, his hair was still wet, and clinging to his face. But it was his chest she was staring at, not only was he built, perfectly defined muscles without too much balk, but it had been hard earned, he was covered in scars, not little nicks and scratches, or even bullet holes, but deep slices that could only have come from swords. And she knew because she had patched up Inuyasha when he had wounds like that, and she also knew that there was no way a normal human had taken wounds like that and lived. Well maybe one, and called it a miracle but the dozen plus? Especially the one across his middle, it looked like he had been cut in half. Not to mention the two on the center of his chest, one right above his heart, and the other a little to the right of his heart, you literally had to be in a hospital or with in a minute of one with a medical professional right there or you would bleed out.

She suddenly had a clue that not only did her her body sing for him, but he would understand the weird in her life a lot better then she had thought. "Breakfast is ramen, the water's hot." She fled down the hall before she said something stupid, like could she kiss him? Or at least run her hand through his hair. She knocked on the Mrs. Ebina's door, it opened but it was a lot less stressful then the last time a door opened. "Breakfast is ramen, sorry it's not more nutritious but we don't have fresh foods and I don't know when's the next time we'll have a fresh water supply."

The women nodded, "Very practical, take me to the food."

Kagome followed her back and found Sado, and Yuzu eating, she could hear the shower running so she could guess where Karin was, and then Ichigo and Will walked in. Kagome found her eyes drifting Ichigo, he had his shirt on now, and she almost morned the view, but for the fact he distracted her. "Kagome you're welcome to join us to get out of the city."

She shook her head free of Miroku thoughts, and then reality struck, "Um that sounds great or at least long enough to get out of the city. But I need to go to Tokyo... And I don't think you want to go that far."

The room went silent, Kagome took that as a agreement, "Yeah thought so. Anyway, I know I saw on the news that the closest exit point is close to a hundred miles away, so you'll need a car. And I was thinking the military had some tanks, maybe we could find one and use it to get out of the city, and you guys can take it to the wall."

Ichigo nodded, "That sounds like a good plan but for two things; One how are you going to get to Tokyo if you don't have a car? And two I have no clue how to drive a tank."

Will spoke up, "I bet I could drive one, the first half an hour might be a bit rough, but possible. And I think it really needs to be a tank, a normal car... the windows would be easy to smash and wouldn't be able to take hundreds of Zombies hitting it."

Kagome nodded, "I saw that yesterday. And me getting to Tokyo is my problem, and it shouldn't be to much of a problem, I have proven myself resourceful."

Ichigo nodded, "Fine."

They ate quickly Tatsuki drifted in from where ever she had been, ate her ramen silently, and then went back to her room to gather her stuff, Kagome gathered all the water bottles from the fridges in the offices and the kitchens. They loaded up and set out.

Kagome found herself scouting a little ahead, just about ten feet ahead or around corners and such, but she was impressed, by how fast they were able to keep moving, now if only they were getting some where; They had run into a mob of Zombies at one turn, a block later and they turned around having heard gunshots further down, and they had to turn around again when they ran into a blockade, fifteen feet high spanning the whole street, and even the alleys were blocked. Kagome was starting to feel a little worried they were locked up in a little box of the city, with a lot of Zombies, even as they killed about every Zombie in arms reach, they never seemed to see a difference.

Kagome called a break by leading them into an empty house, she knew it was empty because all the walls were torn down, it looked like someone had been trying to remodeled it. She sat down, Yuzu sat next to her letting Sasha out to drink from her hand, Kagome petted the kitten, while drinking from her own bottle.

"Kagome," she looked up, Ichigo gestured her over, she stood and walked over.

"So we find a car and get out of the city then what?"

She sighed, annoyed the thought of leaving him bothered her so much, "You point me in the direction of Tokyo, I get out and start walking."

She felt her heart warm as his scowl deepened, he was the tiniest bit concerned for her, "I don't like it, it'll take you weeks, to get there."

Kagome shrugged, "Yeah, but it'll be worth it if I can find proof my family is alive."

"Then you do know the odds."

Kagome closed her eyes pushing back the burn of tears, "Yeah I know. But at the very least I have to know, I couldn't live with myself if I ran for safety without trying to cheek on them first." She opened her eyes, blue meeting brown. "I will at at least try."

He nodded, "Then how about we get everyone to the wall, I leave Chad and Mrs. Ebina with my sisters and then we try to find them?"

Kagome blinked surprised he would do that for someone he just met, "But your sisters..."

"Would be safe. I respect your dedication to your family, I can't in good concision let you go alone, but at the same time I wouldn't ask my sisters to risk it."

Kagome nodded slowly, grateful to her core, "Thank you."

"So we agree?"

Kagome nodded, and added again, "Thank you."

Ichigo nodded, one short brisk nod, but she could see his shoulders relax a fraction, he felt better just like she did about having a plan. Ichigo looked over their group, Yuzu had gotten Sasha to relax enough for the kitten to find a corner and do her business, Tatsuki was slouched up against a post, Mrs. Ebina and Will were talking while sharing a thing of pocky, they were starting to get hungry, they had been out trying to find a tank for more then an two and half hours. Karin and Sado were doing the same, Kagome side and pulled out a power-bar, "I'm glad you guys know how to be quiet."

Ichigo looked up at her from where he had slid to the floor, "What do you mean?"

Kagome shrugged, "I met a group before you guys, and even after I told them gunshots only brought more Zombies they kept using their guns. I hope they made it out and all but I couldn't stay. Not with them being so loud and so willing to make more noise."

Ichigo nodded, then he frowned thoughtfully, "You notice how they groan, but don't go after the groaner?"

Kagome nodded slowly wondering where he was going with this.

"I think they can't hear it, it's too low for them."

Kagome mulled this over, "I think your right, it's that or they know how to tell one another from people, or should I say food."

Ichigo nodded slowly, then he got to his feet, "Time to go." he announced softly, everyone looked at him and nodded, cleaning up after themselves. Yuzu packed Sasha up, slinging the back pack on her front, she had said she did that so if she had to press her back to something she wouldn't squish Sasha. Kagome stopped Tatsuki unable to stop herself, "You really should use a weapon," she offered one of her knives.

Tatsuki shoved her hand off, "Leave me alone bitch, it's not like you really care." She walked angrily out the door, Kagome flinched and looked to Ichigo, he shrugged, concern written on his face. Kagome put it pack in the sheath, and grabbed an arrow placing it to her bow string.

**Ichigo**

Ichigo held back a sigh, Kagome was right Tatsuki needed a weapon, hand to hand wasn't going to keep her safe, they had already seen what happens if a Zombie gets their hands on you for a second. But at the same time he knew if he pushed Tatsuki would push back and do something stupid and die just to try to prove him wrong.

He looked back to Kagome, she was leading them by a few feet, he found it awkward to look at her because his eye kept drifting south, he couldn't help the fact her jeans showed how fit she was. It wasn't fair, why did he always meet the pretty girls at the worst possible moment? Why couldn't he have bumped into her at a coffee shop or something? Then he could have asked her out, but now he felt like idiot for even noticing her, the world as they knew had ended, and he was thinking about Kagome's butt and legs. Of course he had found surprisingly he liked her even better after she admitted she knew all too well her family was likely dead, but she was going to go anyway. Even if she had to go by herself.

That was impressive, she knew her odds alone weren't good, she knew her family was probably dead, but she was willing to keep going. He had always found before if he talked to a girl he would lose interest in her, she would prove to be boring, or annoying, or some of other flaw would revel it's self and he would move on. Hell his first crush had been Tatsuki, she would over react when he tried to nice her, so his whole memory of the year he was seven was taking a lot of crap from her before his mom had told him he should give her room. That Tatsuki didn't understand why he was trying to be nice to her, or why he kept trying to help her. The next really memorable crush was Orihime, when he first saw her... lets just go with he reacted as well as any thirteen year would around a reasonably pretty girl, then he saw how timid she was, and how spacy she was, not to mention what she ate, that crush had died a very fast death. He'd said yes when girls he didn't know very well asked him out, but by the end of every date, he knew he wasn't interested in any of them.

But made him like Kagome?

Her strength? She was the toughest girl he had even met, she had killed, and faced the fact easily, but that didn't seem like the only thing he liked about her. Maybe he liked how she was ruthless one moment and then she was pulling a kitten out and handing it to Yuzu, giving her something to protect... Yeah he probably liked how she could tough and then turn around prove she was a good person, that had been something of turn off with Rukia she had trouble being nice, and not pushy, not that she hadn't been a friend, but after more then two days with her any thoughts of dating her were gone.

The point was kind mote, there was no way he was going to ask her out now, maybe he'd ask her when they were heading for Tokyo but likely not before then.

**Two O'Clock**

He and Kagome had talked over maybe needing to find place to stop, but everyone had said they should push on; Even Mrs. Ebina who clearly was slowing, not that she was holding them back but she clearly was tired, the stress of being silent and being on her feet for the last two days getting to her, and his sisters for that matter, even if Yuzu was doing better having Sasha to look after. Tatsuki was starting to scare him, and he found himself wondering if Keigo's crazy theory about why Tatsuki had been so protective of Orihime wasn't right. She had been pushing the whole group always the first to get up and she was taking risks attacking Zombies she didn't have to and she still didn't have a weapon.

Ichigo turned his attention back to the Zombie he was killing, his crow bar took it in the temple, he pulled it free letting the body drop to the ground, he glanced back, Chad was doing the same and the others were alert but it was all good. He looked back to the ass on the girl leading the way, he smiled wryly it was a good thing she hadn't claim to know where she was going or she would have been lying, but with all the new dead ends he didn't know where he was going and he had lived here his whole life.

Then he heard it, a strangled scream. He spun, surprised and found a Zombie had grabbed Tatsuki's fist as she punched at it and bitten down on her wrist. He was once again surprised how less than a minute could stretch on into an eternity. He saw the shock, the fear that rose up in Tatsuki's eyes, and he also saw her understanding, and he realized he was taking steps toward her wanting to help, but she was nodding her head to someone over his shoulders. Then second he heard the whoosh and an arrow buried it's self in her forehead, and she fell the Zombie bitting her bowled over by the sudden yank of body weight. And just like that he felt like he could touch her absences, Tatsuki, someone who had been around since pretty much all he could remember and in an instant she was gone.

He closed the hand he had reached out with and pulled himself back to the fact they were facing a fair number of Zombies who had tumbled from the surrounding streets and buildings. He let everyone run ahead of him following Kagome who was clearing the way with help from Chad and Will, he took up the rear and with one last look said his goodbyes to Tatsuki.

**2:47 p.m. Kagome**

Kagome leaned against the wall carefully controlling her breathing, eyes glancing out the door and back across the room where Ichigo leaned on the wall his eyes horrible hollow. She flinched and looked back outside, she had just killed another one of his friends. Kagome closed her eyes, Tatsuki weighted on her heart and conscious more, Orihime had been too far gone, just like the other guy, but Tatsuki had looked her in the eye and nodded, accepting her offer.

Kagome exhaled letting her breath shudder out as quietly as possible, it wasn't like this was the first time she had, had to do something that hurt, no where near the first, but this was a different kind of hurt. She not only hurt for the angry girl who found peace with her arrow in her head but for herself, and more importantly Ichigo. His ex or whatever the hell Tatsuki was to him had died at her hand, just like his other two friends. If he didn't hate her he was a better person then she would be in his shoes, as it was she was leaving him alone so as not to put any pressure on him, he didn't have to admit to her or himself if he was angry or not.

She was down to less then twenty arrows, one quiver was totally empty even with her grabbing arrows as she went passed Zombies she had shot, and the other only had eighteen in it, so she desperately needed ammo. But she didn't want to bring it up, they would be on the edge of the city in less then an hour and they still didn't have a car, they had to pass up four different vehicles on their way because one had a tire blown out, another because one of the doors was broken, and another because it was pined by a lamp post and the last because it was too heavily swarmed by Zombies, mostly the unit it had carried Kagome had noticed.

She sighed and pushed herself off the wall, she knew the others still need to rest and as much as she'd like to do the same she was too adrenaline high too relax enough for the rest to do her any good. "I'll be back I want to check something." She whispered to the room at large. Everyone nodded, except for Ichigo he didn't seem to have heard her.

She bit back disappointment, she had killed his friends what else did she expect? She slipped from the second story room they were in and ran lightly down the stairs pausing at the door to check for any Zombies before she slipped out. From there she took an alley way around the blockade of Zombies with the last car and then went up aways, three or four blocks later she hit the jackpot; Five different cars, one was an honest to god tank and the other four seemed made for carrying personal, as she had thought there were too many Zombies in uniform down the four blocks for them all to have come from the one car. She peaked in one and made a grossed out face, someone had died in there, the blood covered the seats on one side and splattered the window, she ducked out. Landing silently on the street, she checked the other cars; One she didn't get into because she could see a Zombie sitting locked in it, someone who had been bitten and got away only to turn later. The other two seemed good so she checked which one had more gas, not to mention that there was more then enough room for them all, she grinned and grabbed the guide to the car from the glove box, it read FPI Cougar 6x6 version. She ducked back out and realized something had drawn some Zombies not many but a few, she shot them down and winced when one thumped loudly against the car with the Zombie in it.

She took great care in stepping silently as she retrieved the arrows before heading back down the side alley, she got back to the house they had been in when the door opened and she found herself face to face with Ichigo.

**3:03 Ichigo**

Ichigo blinked pushing away his grief for his father and friends, now was not the time. Then he noticed they were down a member, "Where's Kagome?"

Yuzu looked up from Sasha shocked, but Karin looked up oddly smug, Karin answered her voice loud even though it was barely above a whisper, "She went out to scout ahead."

Ichigo looked to Chad and Will, "You guys let her go alone?"

Will shrugged tiredness clear, "She can handle herself, and she's proven that's her job."

Chad nodded, not as tired but Ichigo could follow how his friend's train of thought, he wouldn't leave him and his sisters vulnerable over a helpful stranger, and the girls weren't good enough fighters. He bit back his annoyance he was the idiot who spaced out, he should have been paying attention, he was leading them even if Kagome had proven she was very helpful at that too, it was his job. He stopped a swear word, ignoring the sharp sense of worry.

"Lets go." Everyone nodded and stood, following him down the stairs, he listened at the door but didn't hear any groans. So he opened it and found himself face to face with beautiful blue eyes, she was startled but knew enough to keep quiet.

He grabbed her arm and yanked her in, he waved everyone back up the stairs, and once up there he didn't let her start, "Why did you go out alone?"

She looked at him surprised by his furious whisper, she blinked, "I told everyone I was going out, and you all needed rest..."

Ichigo resisted running a hand though his hair, they had just lost Tatsuki they didn't need to lose another member to being fool hardy. "Don't do it again!" he hissed, his worry slowly disappearing. "You need someone to watch your back."

She shifted a blush tinting her cheeks, "I'm sorry. But I found the car."

Ichigo blinked, he was scolding her and then... "Good what is it?"

She lifted her full hand it wasn't just holding her bow she was holding a car manual, it read FPI Cougar 6X6 edition. He grabbed it and passed it off to Will who took it and flipped through it, Will quickly found whatever he was looking for and looked up a big grin on his tired face, "I can drive this."

He and Kagome nodded at the same time, she looked to him and he gave the order, "Lets go."

Kagome lead the way out and over to the car, Ichigo followed senses on full alert, but even as his body was ready for the next threat he found he watched Kagome lead the way, and wondered why had he gotten so worried?

**Kagome**

Kagome felt a surprising warmth burn in her chest, Ichigo hadn't been punishing her by ignoring her, he had been lost in thought, and he worried for her. Kagome felt a silly grin cross her lips, stupid considering he still had plenty of reasons not to like her in anything other then a helpful team mate fashion but at the moment she'd take what she could get. As long as it meant he would still come with her to Tokyo, then they'd have some alone time and he just might get to know her.

And dare she hope, like her.

Kagome shot three more Zombies and frowned, there hadn't been so many here before... She turned the corner to where the cars were and stopped a gasp, her mouth hung open and she realized the thud the Zombie she had shot had made on the car had driven the one inside nuts and it had started making noise trying to get out and the noise had drawn more. Kagome struggle to find a way to get to the car she had picked, it was the car farthest from the one drawing the crowd but they had to get passed the crowd. Kagome eyed the fifty yards as if it was a mile, but between milling Zombies, shells from spent bullets, and bodies from ones killed by the Army and the ones she had killed it might as well have been a mile.

She looked back meeting Ichigo's eyes, his face was set in grim lines, his normal frown deeper then ever. Kagome waved the others back down the alley a little ways, she wanted to ask if they should try for the car or not, she knew if they made it to the car they were almost home free, but one little noise and they were dead so she didn't dare open her mouth to talk. Not to mention they couldn't go back to where they could talk because the thudding Zombie was still bring more and more, by the time they decided and came back their slim window would be gone, then Kagome remembered the pen in her pocket, it was a mini gel pen but she always had one on her. She wrote on the wall _"do we risk it? Nod or shake your head." _

Ichigo looked around before nodding, Karin nodded as did Will, Chad stood silently staring at her before he gave a swift nod, Mrs. Ebina shook her head, as did Yuzu but the two of them knew they were out voted. Kagome nodded back to the group once, and turned back to wall she was writing on, _"Walk in single file and use you weapons to push them away from you, don't kill them the noise of a body falling may make them swarm. This will be scary but keep your nerve, panic will kill us all."_ Kagome underlined 'us all' twice looking at Yuzu and Karin.

They nodded back to her, Kagome nodded once and then stepped out leading the way.

She got ten feet out before she looked back seeing Yuzu right behind her, Karin behind Yuzu, then Chad a few steps behind the two girls Ichigo was helping Mrs. Ebina and Will was covering their behind. She turned her attention back to her feet, she stepped over the spent shells weaving in and out of the more crowded areas of Zombies working her way to the last car.

She was less then thirty feet from the car when she heard the tell tale crunch of someone stepping on a spent bullet shell, she spun amazed she had heard it over the low groans. But she knew it didn't matter, the sound was different enough the Zombies knew food was near. She met Yuzu's terrified eyes, and knew deep in her gut, this time she was going to save someone. She grabbed the girl's arm and yanked pulling Yuzu to her, the Zombie who had been about to grab her stumbled falling into another separating them from the others. Kagome heard her arrows rattle with her sudden movement, and she knew now they would be after her, a little more noise wouldn't hurt. She shoved Yuzu towards the car, "Go! Get in the car!"

Yuzu stood staring at her, shocked. Then Kagome felt the first Zombie grab her, Kagome let go of her bow while lifting her arm, the bow slid up to her elbow and she punched the Zombie leaning over her. Her other hand fumbled for the knife as she turned intending to finish the Zombie off, she noticed Chad carrying Karin over his shoulder as he just charged through the Zombies knocking a good many back away from her. Yuzu was grabbed by Will as he helped Mrs. Ebina along behind in Chad's shadow. Kagome felt the knife slide free, and she quickly jammed it in the Zombie's eye socket, she ignored the rush of congealed blood as she kicked out knocking the Zombie behind her down. She spun catching another Zombie in the throat, but it wasn't deep enough to sever the spinal cord, sawing with on hand she tried to cut it while holding it off with other. Then hands grabbed her shoulders, and she knew this was it, the Zombie was going to bite her.

Hair brushed her cheek and she could barely see the shape of a head, sawing she finished off the Zombie in front of her as the one holding her bit down. The deep ache surprised her and then the Zombies began to yank his head from side to side trying to tear out a piece of flesh, she couldn't help it she yelped.

Bending her arm back she stabbed the Zombie through to top of the head, the damn thing bit down just a bit harder before letting go. Pulling her knife free the body fell, she swiped at another coming up towards her from behind killing it. She turned to face one coming from the side, and then a flash of orange had her turning her head. Ichigo used his crowbar to kill the one she'd seen and then he turned to her. Seeing the grimness in his eyes she knew he'd seen her get bit, so she was surprised when he dashed over and grabbed her hand pulling her the last bit to the open doors at the back of the cougar. Helping her in he hopped in to, slamming the doors behind him. The engine revere and they left the horde behind.

She took a moment to take stock, her whole shoulder hurt but it didn't feel like she was bleeding, she'd hurt her ankle knocking the Zombie down, she had nine arrows left and a forming bruise on her back.

"How bad is it?"

Kagome met Ichigo's eyes, and realized with the jacket he couldn't tell there was no blood. She grinned and shucked the backpack and her coat, the pain of moving her arm and then putting pressure on the forming bite mark bruise well worth getting to stay. She leaned forward, "The teeth couldn't get through my jacket."

He looked up from where he'd been staring at her shoulder and she could see the honest relief, he grinned back, and then they both turned at Yuzu's voice.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." the blond cried tears running down her face. "I thought I got you killed."

Kagome felt her eyes widen, she wasn't going to tell the girl she'd been willing to die to save her, she hadn't been sure the Jacket would stop teeth, and they could have gone for her throat. "No, if I was worried about that I would have let your brother save you instead. I can handle myself."

Yuzu nodded but Karin shot her a look, and Kagome knew the girl knew she had been willing to die for the other girl, Ichigo was giving her an identical look. Mrs. Ebina was smirking in a way that said she saw all the little byplays, even if her eyes were closed. Sado was looking at her from under his fringe, she could see he was glad she was here, or glad she'd done what had or... something. She didn't know she could just tell he was glad they'd made it to the car and were safe.

Will opened the window behind his head, "So where too?"

Kagome answered, "To the wall."

The american's head bobbed and the car went a bit faster heading for the edge of the city, Kagome leaned back in the seat, the fading adrenaline leaving her tired. She'd fought hard and got the rest of the group to the car safely, she hadn't even died or been forced out on her own.

Her eyes drifted closed, the faint question drifting in her sleepy mind as she fell asleep.

'Would you be proud of me Inuyasha?'


	3. Chapter 3

**Zombies**

**Disclaimer I own nothing, neither Bleach or Inuyasha nor any Zombie Movies. I was inspired by High school of the Dead, Last of the Living, and just about any other zombie movie out there that I've seen. And yes this is a product of boredom and lack of sleep considering I thought of this at five in the morning. By the way this takes place after Ichigo beat Aizen and lost his powers and as if the never manga picks up again. And sorry my faithful Everyone's Dead fans this just wouldn't go away till I wrote it, so now that it's done maybe I can work on chapter 34. If it kills me!**

**In Soul Society**

Urahara found himself taking the time to look away from the pages he was searching, the last hold out of soul reapers as far as he knew was this building. Used for recoded keeping of the activities of Twelfth squad. Yamamoto rested in the corner, Unohana was carefully going through the shelves in front of her, her seventh seat helping her. Kira as he was pretty sure he was called, was the only one of third squad still alive.

Surprisingly the entire second squad was wiped out, or so they thought, they hadn't responded to the hell butterflies since the whole thing began ten days ago, Yamamoto said. Fifth was gone too, sixth was the most intact despite having lost their vice captain. Seventh was mostly gone only three or so seated members had made it, and their vice captain. Shunshui and his new vice captain were here though Shunshui was hurt, thank god he wasn't bitten but hurt from where zombies or people trying to get away from them had weakened a wall and he'd had the bad luck to get hit with a piece as it collapsed.

Ninth and Tenth squads were wiped out, Eleventh was mixed up. They had some seated members here, Yumichika and some other lower level guys but he seemed pretty sure there were others out there fighting off the Zombies. Twelfth was gone, Mayuri created this virus as far as they knew and it somehow had gotten loose spreading through Twelfth till everyone in the lab was effected and then they got out and spread it like the plague it was. He'd been called in the moment the captains had realized Mayuri was behind this and infected, and so of absolutely no use. He'd barely made it here, that had been how they'd lost Renji, that had been five days ago now.

Yamamoto the moment he received word of the spreading fighting had ordered the Seireitei sealed till the situation had been sorted out, now they knew what was going on it was a damn good thing because it meant it hadn't spread to the Rukongai. The normal souls were safe, and so was the academy.

Thirteen was gone as far as anyone knew, not even Ukitake had made it.

It had been something of a slaughter, at least it wasn't in the human world...

**Twenty Miles From the Edge of the Tokyo**

Kagome stood guard while the girls and Ichigo, plus Chad searched for more water, and used the bathroom while Mrs. Ebina and Will filled up the gas tank on the Cougar, they had something of a routine worked out from the times they'd had to stop in the past three days, she still remembered the first stop: _They'd stopped because they were almost out of gas and they were pretty sure picking up a map would be best. Will didn't know where he was going, Ichigo and Ebina didn't drive much and the others only really had been driven by others. So they stopped to get gas, they had to be fast because the Zombies would be right behind them, they were drawn by the engine even if it was turned off so they could gas up. She and the other girls went in, it was all well and good till Karin startled the three __zombies in the store that they hadn't seen because they'd been hiding in the back room, Yuzu had __screamed and Karin for all her fighting spirit was a small woman, she hadn't been able to defeat the three, so the end result had been it had been a close call pulling out, they did get the map and they stocked up on water and a few other things, but it had been close._

Kagome had drawn on the map the lines that was supposed to be the walls dividing Japan into thirds, And their next stop had surprised her, it hadn't been something she'd thought up, she still remembered asking what Ichigo what he was thinking when half an hour after the last stop he orders Will off the highway:_"What do you mean we should stop?"_

_His serious amber eyes met her own blue, "The Zombie couldn't bite through your jacket, what is in the strip mall?"_

_She frowned, "I don't know, what?"_

"_A motorcycle shop, they'll have jackets enough for everyone and we could get boots, and maybe even riding chaps."_

They'd stopped and so everyone had armored up, even Mrs. Ebina, she looked very tough wearing leather, and toting a gun and a couple of knives. Of course Yuzu and Karin looked a bit ridiculous, Yuzu because she was pretty much always was holding Sasha, and Karin because her jacket was too big in the shoulders, Yuzu had grabbed the only young adult coat in the store Kagome swore. Of course how they got here was a funny story, when they did stop for the night, Kagome with support from Ichigo set up a night watch, just to make sure no one or nothing got the jump on them. Eating dinner she made the mistake of trying to make plans to learn to drive from Will, he looked at her funny and when she explained she would drive back to Tokyo after she got them to the wall, he kinda lost it.

"_Your family can't be okay girly, not unless they can fight like you! And if they are still alive they had to have gotten out already, after all you said the news said it spread from there."_

_Kagome shook her head, "I know! I know! But I have to check, I couldn't live with myself if I just ran for cover. I'll get you to the wall and it will be okay."_

_Will shook his head violently, "I can't on good conscience let you go alone, and I don't think I could beat you long enough to tie you up and force you to leave so I'll come. Two are better then one."_

_Yuzu jumped in, "Yeah Kagome I owe you! I won't leave you alone either!"_

_Ichigo stepped in, "Yuzu you and Karin should get out, I already said I'd go with her; you two, and Chad and Mrs. Ebina and Will should get out. I'll go with her."_

"_Onii-chan if you think telling us that will make us go quietly you're joking." Karin stated._

_Mrs. Ebina spoke, "We've already seen we can work as a team, rather then arguing and taking longer, reducing the chances your family will be okay we'll just all go."_

_She and Ichigo had argued till they were blue in the face but it was decided._

Which got them here, tomorrow they'd reach the shrine, unless the roads were clearer in the city then they had been up till now, but either way they would be stuck spending the night in the city. A zombie shambled closer then Kagome wanted it to, so she shot it, it fell, and she ran forward grabbing the arrow. Pulling it free she stood and saw there was something close to a wall of on coming Zombies, at least a full thirty of them probably more. Walking back she ignored the rule of quiet, "You guys had better hurry up!"

She heard a thump from inside the store and then the others came pouring out she continued to back towards the car, her eyes on the horde. Ichigo, Chad, Yuzu, Karin may be done but Will hadn't told them the car was full. The moment she realized she was standing near a pump she knew she would need to start shooting, the Zombies' deceptively slow shamble disguised how fast their unrelenting pace was. Firing she took out one, two, three, then Mrs. Ebina started using her gun, in the next eight shots five fell head shots, two others fell over not yet dead, and the last she'd missed completely.

Then Will gave them the all clear, Mrs. Ebina climbed in first, and she hopped in behind her, Will buckled up and then started the car, stepping on the gas he then took out five or six Zombies that had been walking towards them. And just like they were on their way, right off the bat the non direct route they had talked about was blocked, Kagome took the marker and and marked it on the map, something that had become her job if only because she was mostly likely to know where to go or where to reroute to.

"Keep going straight!"

Will to his credit didn't even look back he just nodded, and so she sat back knowing at the very least she had half an hour before she'd have to tell him more. Looking over at Yuzu and Chad she asked; "So what did we get?"

Yuzu looked up from where she'd been watching Sasha eat some meat, "The fridges were still working there so we grabbed all the bento boxes, some more water, meaning we still have four days worth at our normal consumption rate, we also grabbed a few more things of instant ramen, for dinner tonight probably, if we find some place to hold up with power."

Kagome nodded and looked at Karin who was stuffing her face, unable to help herself she raised an eyebrow, "Hungry?"

Karin seemed to realize what she was doing because she stopped, swallowed, and answered back, her cheeks pink. "Sorry, it's just I didn't want some more snack bars so I hadn't really eaten anything for lunch, and I happen to love Seven-Eleven's beef sandwiches."

Kagome nodded, she did that about Oden so... "Anyway I was thinking we could spend the night in Toshima, then get the rest of the way to my shrine in Arakawa and then get back to the same house again and then we could head for the wall."

Everyone nodded, "Sounds good." Ichigo added. Kagome felt a little pang, she had hoped they might get some alone time but the only privacy that was real was when they stopped for the night or everyone turned their backs so you could change.

She was glad she hadn't had a nightmare, everyone else but Ichigo had, even Chad, though he hadn't woken screaming like the others, just sat bolt upright, eyes wide, face covered in sweat. She only knew because she'd been up playing watch dog, just like Inuyasha used too. That was a funny thought, before she had wondered how Inuyasha went without sleep for so long Half Demon or not but now she got it. The trick was to doze, eyes closed, but be listening for any sound or for any movement. Of course she had gotten to sleep in the car some too. That first night she hadn't gotten any sleep at all because she hadn't trusted the flimsy gate, and while the car was in the garage there were a lot of windows in that house.

Shaking her head she looked out ahead of the car, and just like she thought, the city was worse, not only was it crawling with zombies, but crashed, damaged, and burned out cars littered the road. All of those things turning it into an optical course. Will had actually slowed down to a mere fifteen to twenty miles on hour, ridiculous for a highway.

Oh well, she leaned back into the seat, she wasn't hungry yet, and she had some time..

**Half an Hour Later**

Kagome was jerked from her sleep as Will let the fender scrape past another car, the metal screeching, and the small bump woke her. Sitting straighter she rubbed her eyes clear, seeing where they were, she spoke up, "Will take the right after next."

He nodded, she leaned back and looked about the back of the car, Yuzu was asleep again, Sasha was watching her from on Yuzu's chest, Ichigo was looking out the window, heedless of the attractive way the light caught his face.

Unconsciously she found herself swallowing if only to keep from drooling, she didn't know what it was but he called to her damn traitorous hormones in a way no one else ever had. Then she heard a snort and felt like groaning, she looked over and found Karin next to her smirking. Of course Ebina was watching her, looking amused too.

Really embarrassed now, Kagome felt her cheeks flush, and even as she struggled to keep from groaning she found herself glad at least Chad was up front with Will so they wouldn't tease her too. She looked back to Ichigo and found him looking around, Karin's snort had woken him from his thoughts. She quickly looked at her feet, the first two days they'd played polite strangers, everyone knew where everyone else lived, knew about the other's families, knew about schooling and jobs, but then they kind of had stopped talking about the past and focused on Tokyo, all of them were afraid of what they'd find.

Once again she was back to the fact she was drooling of Ichigo, she wanted to know everything about him. Damn her curiosity. She was like Inuyasha, or Shippo. "So who wants to play twenty questions?"

Ichigo gave her an 'are you kidding look'? And at her nod, he turned away, but Karin was willing to bite. "Okay."

Kagome cast her mind around and for the heck of it settled on Sesshomaru, "Okay I'm ready."

"Person, place, or thing?"

"Person."

"Is he Japanese?"

Kagome felt her lips twitch, "Yes."

"How old is he?"

Kagome felt a laugh escape her, "Wow I don't know, old, a hundred at the very least."

Karin blinked clearly confused, "Okay.. So does he have white hair?"

"More like silver but yes."

Karin was looking more and more confused, "How did you learn of him then?"

Kagome choked, that was a very perceptive question. "No way I would recommend trying, ask another one."

"Is his name in school history books?"

"No."

Karin pouted, "Then that's cheating!"

Kagome laughed, "Maybe, but keep going you have fifteen left."

Karin thought hard, "How tall is he?"

Kagome thought about it knowing she was a petite five-four... "Close to six feet tall."

Karin was frowning hard, "What is he known for?"

Again Kagome found herself scrambling to answer that, lord of the west was not a good answer. "For hating his half brother." Though that probably wasn't right he was probably best known for killing anything he didn't like that got in his way. Not that he wasn't fair in his own way, just nice and cuddly he was not.

"What color are his eyes?"

Kagome had to give it to Karin she was asking all the right questions, there just was no way for her to guess right. "Golden yellow, like the sun."

Now everyone in the back that was awake was staring at her, Kagome stared at her hands, picking Sesshomaru was a bad choice.

Karin's voice sounded odd, "Was he important when he was alive?"

"Yes."

"Did he kill lots of people?"

"Yes."

Kagome could just feel the intense scrutiny of the others, she was way over her head.

"Is he well known?"

"No."

"Was he well known for killing?"

"Yes."

"Who is he well known for killing?"

"No one you would know."

"Was he an assassin?"

"No."

"A general?"

"No."

"A lord?"

"Yes."

Karin stared at her, eyes hard and Kagome could see the fires of competitiveness burning in her eyes, but there was no way Karin could possible know.

"Was he born three hundred years ago?"

"Nope."

"Two hundred years ago?"

"No."

"And not one hundred years either?"

"Yes."

Karin scowled, Kagome felt compelled to remind her she was on her last one, "Last question."

Karin looked at her, and chewed her lip thoughtfully, then hit the mark in a way that shocked her; "Was he human?"

"No..."

The entire back of the car was silent, and then the hum of a helicopter flew over head breaking whatever revery the others had been in. Karin eyed her with that oddly knowing look, Ichigo however was confused, "Who was it? And how could he not be human?"

"Lord Sesshomaru of the West..." After a moments pause she figured in for a penny in for a pound, "And he was a Dog Demon."

Everyone stared at her, even Chad who had apparently been listening turned to look back.

She swallowed and could feel a mix of embarrassment and annoyance building up, it wasn't like it could be hard for Ichigo to know things weren't always as they seem. Then the car turned left to dodge a car, and Yuzu woke up because her head hit the back of her seat, she sat up slowly, and rubbed her eyes. "Whats going on?"

Kagome looked away from the stares of the others, "We just reached the real edge of Tokyo, and I was playing twenty questions with your sister."

Yuzu grinned, "Play with me, I'm really good!"

Kagome nodded, "Sure."

Yuzu wiggled into a an upright position ignoring the little squeak Sasha gave at being moved, "Okay you picked your thing?"

Kagome thought hard, something she'd know... She settled on Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew, that would likely be something the girl would know, and it likely would annoy Ichigo. "Ready."

"Person, place, or thing?"

"Person."

"Girl or boy?"

"Girl."

"Real person or fictional character?"

"Fictional."

Yuzu rested her chin on her fist, thinking hard the girl looked cute, a little frown of concentration, and a little bit of her lower lip sticking out. "Movie or anime?"

Kagome grinned, Yuzu wasn't kidding she was good, "Anime."

"Are her eyes blue?"

"No."

"Are they brown?"

"Yes."

"Is she fifteen?"

"No."

"Is she fourteen?"

"No."

"Is she older then sixteen?"

"No."

"Is she younger then thirteen?"

"Yes."

"Is her hair black?"

"No."

"Is she blond?"

"No."

"Is her hair an unusual color?"

"Yes."

Yuzu started tapping her lip, thinking. "Blue?"

"No."

"Purple?"

"No."

"Is her hair red?"

"Yes."

Yuzu grinned thrilled with her success, "Is she Ichigo from Tokyo Mew Mew?"

"Yes."

She laughed and Karin started laughing too, she looked over at Ichigo feeling slightly embarrassed, to find him pouting, "Kagome why did you have to bring her up? She's the character that made my sisters realized everyone was serious when they said I had a girly name!"

Kagome couldn't help it she giggled, but everyone else was louder, Yuzu was laughing and Karin was hiccuping, Mrs. Ebina was snickering and her smile was splitting her face.

Will looked back over his shoulder as they turned to the right to get off the main highway, "Where do I turn next?"

Kagome looked away from Ichigo and down at her map that was slightly crumpled in her hand, "ahh... We take this right then we follow it for five plus miles before turning left."

" 'kay." Will finished the turn running over another zombie the small crunching sound ignored by everyone, they were kinda use to it after the last three days, they had joked at one point the best weapon for killing zombies was a study car, not anything wielded by hand.

Awkward silence started taking over again and Kagome cursed herself for thinking Sesshomaru was clever. Then Yuzu asked something that was going to be hard to answer, "So Kagome I know you said you lived on a shrine before you left for school but is that where you learned to use the bow?"

Kagome found herself chewing her lip, that was on her list of hard to answer questions, because in reality she had learn to use a bow on shrine lands, however it wasn't her family who taught her. "I learned at my shrine, but some friends taught me."

"Oh." Yuzu frowned, "Then why aren't you going to look for them too?"

Kagome found that amused her, or at least she was smirking, bobbing her head awkwardly she answered, "I don't really have friends any more, and the few I had were in Karakura for the field trip, the friends in question died several years ago."

The car was silent, but Karin was giving her look that said the clever and slightly annoyingly so girl was figuring something out, or trying to. Yuzu looked sorry she had asked, and that was proven when she spoke up, "Sorry I asked, I sure thats painful to you."

Kagome knew for a very long time she would have said excruciating but... she had people around her willing to risk their lives to help her, it was an old wound but one that had healed. "It was for a very long time, but they would want me to move on."

And focus on surviving, she added in her head, but didn't dare say it out loud she had already said too much. That was obvious given the looks the others were giving her, Ichigo however while curious clearly could tell she didn't dare say more, that or he figured she would tell them when it mattered. Of course she wasn't the only one with secrets, Ichigo had never explained his scars, and she hadn't heard anything about his 'bad high school' experience.

The car lapsed in awkward silence.

**7:23 p.m.**

Ichigo glanced over at Kagome, she held her bow ready, arrow to the string, they were searching a small mansion, they'd picked it because it had a gate that they could shut, not to mention the house still had power, even if the gate and the guard house didn't. It had been scary getting in, him and Chad had muscled the gate open and only Kagome covering them had let them get in without getting bit, or close the gate without too many visitors. He had to admit once they got out of this with or without Kagome's family he would have to adjust to not having her at his side or a little ahead of him, the last four days had been a new kind of hell, but from the moment she showed up she had proven herself invaluable.

Hell she probably had done more for the group then him, of course by this point he knew he liked Kagome better then any girl he'd ever met before. She was cute, could cook, didn't have any habits that drove him nuts, though she was rather cautious, she had grabbed first aid things, and had gotten Yuzu and Karin to take stock of their stores and keep an eye on what their normal rate of consumption was, and she made sure they replaced what they'd used and grab a little more.

Okay so he thought she was a bit of a pack rat but he marked that under the list of endearing traits, rather then annoyances. She could fight, and was tough, and she wasn't overly squeamish, sure it was gross he couldn't deny that, but she never screamed, even if she washed herself best as she could every night. Actually he liked that too, she had any eye for detail and she noticed things about people. Though he had to admit he wanted to know rather badly how in the world she'd met Sesshomaru the dog demon. That had sounded like it could explain all the little things that bothered him, like the fact he found she liked to sleep sitting up, or at a window, or in the hall, and the fact she had clearly been in battle before this, not only had she never flinched when blood splattered her, she never once got sick or even nauseated by the bodies they'd found. Hell some of them had gotten to him and he was a med student, but even when asked to help move them she just did it.

And the one that really stuck out in his mind was the time they were moving the guy who had blown his head off after getting bitten and while moving him part of his head that was left fell, sliding down her leg before making a sloppy splattery squish on the floor. He'd almost thrown up just from the sound never mind that it was on her, but her eyes had been hard and far away, and while her mouth was tightly closed there had not been a tinge of green and she wasn't any paler then she had been when they found the body.

Searching the room he then lead the way into next room, Kagome on his right and Chad on his left.

**7:43 p.m.**

Ichigo waved Mrs. Ebina, Will, and his sisters in, the house was clear and the four bodies dumped way out in the backyard under a tree. He had to admit something he worried about every time they stopped at a house was running into kids, they hadn't really faced any face to face, and he was pretty sure it might be the one thing that got to Kagome but he wasn't sure, he did know he would have a hard time with it. It... Zombies were bad enough but the thought of facing kid zombies was enough to give him nightmares.

He suppose he should thank Kagome for her actions tonight in stopping his sisters from helping more, he knew them taking things from the stores and that sort of thing was unavoidable but so far they hadn't helped much with killing zombies. Sure they'd seen a bunch, but he didn't want them to help dump bodies, that would make it kinda... final, they wouldn't be his kid sisters any more. Not that he treated them like kids, but the last of their innocence would be gone.

At least without speaking everyone else seemed to agree too, though he, Chad and Will were doing their best to keep Mrs. Ebina from the worst of it too. He supposed he wanted to protect Kagome too, but she just... did things. Walked up and knew where her place was in the group.

He supposed that was exactly it, he knew she'd let her class leave without her, and she'd left that other group because they wouldn't listen to her and wouldn't stop using guns, and then she found them and just fit in. It was a little scary just how perfect she was, helping him kill zombies one minute then playing mother to the group the next.

He helped Mrs. Ebina up the stairs, all this sitting in the car was making her knees stiff, she paused when they were alone half way up the stairs, turning to him, her hand stopping him from taking the next up. Her gaze intent, he looked back not sure what she was looking for, then she smiled and turned back loosening her grip on his arm, "Good. Good."

Afraid to ask he did anyway, "What's good?"

Her wrinkled face broke into a wide smile, "Do you know what I like about you most Ichigo-kun?"

"No."

"You're modest, and once one gives you a chance or a reason you are a perfect gentle men."

Feeling his cheeks heat he stayed silent, focusing on helping her up to the room the girls would be sharing. Once he had her at the top of the stairs he wait for her to make up her mind as to where she was going, "I'm going to make sure they don't need help carrying anything in."

She nodded and he turned about heading back down the stairs missing her smirk completely.

**9:02 p.m.**

Kagome glanced over her shoulder feeling awkward and excited, it was just her and Ichigo in the kitchen, he'd offered to help her clean up after dinner and everyone, mostly because of Yuzu, Karin and Mrs. Ebina, they were left alone.

Taking a deep breath she tried to find something to say, "Thanks for helping."

He looked up at her from where he was clearing the table, "You're welcome, besides you made dinner you shouldn't have to clean up alone."

She felt a small smile break across her face, "I always do the dishes at home, and at the dorm."

He smirked a little, "Only more reason for me to help you."

There was quiet for a minute as she washed what was in the sink, while he brought the next stack over to her, then he spoke again. "I got to thank you for being the one to tell my sisters that they couldn't help clean the house. If it had come from me they wouldn't have listened, but they respect you."

Surprised she turned to look at him, he wasn't looking at her but at the plates he was scraping, but she could see he was absolutely sincere. "I.. a.. ah. You're welcome..."

The room was silent before Ichigo brought the scrapped plates over to her and started drying the dishes, feeling the warmth of his arm near hers she asked about tomorrow, making sure he was thinking the same thing she was; "So we are thinking that we'll leave your sisters, and Mrs. Ebina and possible Chad if he doesn't want to go, here tomorrow while we go to the shrine, then whatever we find we come back here and spend the next night right?"

Ichigo looked over at her, being so close his gaze felt more potent, swallowing, her mouth dry she waited for an answer trying very hard not to think about closing the distance and kissing him.

After a moment that stretched almost too long he nodded, breaking eye contact, "Yeah, that sounds good. Chad will come if I know him, and we need Will to drive. So how bad do you think it will be by your shrine?"

Kagome sighed, scrubbing the dishes distracting herself so the words would come without her dwelling on it, "We will be lucky if there is only a few, but because it is near several large apartments, and three different schools, I expect it will be swarming."

Ichigo was silent and she didn't look over, she didn't want to see him hesitate, she liked thinking that he was brave and a charge forward sort of guy, but those sorts of odds would put anyone off. Then he spoke and her heart leapt; "That means we will likely have to brave a block or two on foot so the base of the shrine isn't swarmed."

Kagome looked at him, she could feel how wide her eyes were, the urge to glomp him was there and the only thing stopping her was her wet hands. He realized she had stopped washing and looked back over at her, seeing her face he frowned, looking worried. "What's wrong Kagome?"

Licking her lips, and swallowing so she could talk without it coming out in a squeak. "You are awesome."

He flushed, and his eyes darted around before coming back to her, "um... Thank you..."

She flushed feeling embarrassed, "I just meant I admire how even hearing about horrible odds like that you don't hesitate, you don't look back, you just... do what's needed."

Now he looked a lot like Inuyasha's robes of the fire rat, "It's funny you think that; that's what I like about you."

She ignored the heat in her cheeks, "I have something at stake, you could have gotten out of this so many times. You could have taken your family and gone, all of you could have, but instead you came, risking your life to help an almost complete stranger."

Ichigo got an intent look on his face, his blush was still there but he was staring into her, "Kagome I would have helped you after you lead us out of that intersection, but then you saved my sister, and you thought it would cost you your life. If you hadn't shown what sort of person you were before, that did, we, especially me and my sisters, would be weak cowards if we didn't try to help you. Not many would die just to help others they didn't know well at all."

Now Kagome knew she was fiery red, not pink, she tried to answer but only a stammer came out. Shutting her mouth, she gazed back at him, he hadn't looked away, but watched her, seeming to want to make it clear to her just how grateful he was. Thoughts of kissing him were back and more forceful then ever, she took her hands from the soapy water and used the towel on her other side to dry them, since he still hadn't looked away or said anything she wondered if he felt the spark too. Lifting her hand she touched his cheek, it was rough with stubble, even though he didn't appear to have more then a five o'clock shadow.

Her eyes watched her hand as it ran over his cheek, seemingly as if had a mind of it's own. Then her eyes drifted down and settled on his lips, tempted she looked back up to met his eyes. They were dark and she realized he was barely breathing, between that and the fact he hadn't tried to stop her, she slid her hand down around the back of his neck and pulled him down so she could kiss him.

Their lips met and Kagome once again felt fireworks, then she realized despite Ichigo hadn't responded when she started it, he was now crushing her to him: One hand on her low back and the other was tangled in her hair. He had totally taken control of the kiss, then his hand moved in small circles on her low back and his tongue was running along the seam of her mouth, opening her mouth she let him in.

He plundered her mouth, and she let him, enjoying the fact he was acting dominant.

All too soon the need for air pressed, Ichigo pulled away and as soon as she opened her eyes, breathing deep, she found his eyes staring into hers. She smiled a little, and he relaxed, then the silence turned awkward, so she spoke up first. "Ichigo I like you a lot, after we get out of this would you like to go out on a date?"

He smirked, "Stole the words right out of my mouth, yeah. I would really like that."

She grinned relieved, "Well as much as I would like to kiss you again, we need to do dishes and then we need to get some sleep for tomorrow."

He nodded and they went back to the dishes the silence a lot less awkward.

**3:48 a.m.**

Kagome was walking up the stairs of her shrine, Ichigo a few steps behind her, his crow bar ready to hit any stray Zombie, the streets had been better then they thought they'd be Kagome was guessing they had followed the noise, and the noise had retreated from the main city, fleeing for the safety on the other sides of the walls. They quickly reached the top and she ran for the front door, it was locked and she had to turn around and go for the spare key, grabbing it she unlocked that door. Opening the door she walked in Ichigo following her closely. The house was silent and even though she wanted to shout for her brother and mother she knew silence was the better part of valor.

Not finding them in the kitchen she went to the living room, no one was there, she dashed up the stairs barely remembering the keep her feet light, upstairs she searched the rooms, hers, her mother's, then her brother's, nothing. Then she remember she hadn't searched her grandfather's old room. Dashing back down stairs barely noticing Ichigo following her, she ran and open the small door; For a split second wild joy surged, her mother was with Souta hiding in the corner, then the splashes of red across the walls sunk in. A horrified sob escaped her when she realized Souta was staring at the ceiling with dead eyes and her mother was eating him. Then her mother turned, her eyes were blind and blood shot, but her mouth was a mocking stain on her face, Souta's blood smeared all over her chin, Kagome could see the bite that changed her, her collar bone was exposed, glinting in the sun light coming in from the open window.

The frozen stillness was broken by her mother's charge, throwing herself over the bed she tried to grab her, Kagome was frozen and only Ichigo saved her grabbing her arm he yanked her out the door and shut it. His face empathic he looked down at her, "I'm so sorry Kagome, but we can't stay we need to go."

Still shocked she nodded, he lead the way out of the house, it looked clear but the moment the door clicked shut behind her, they appeared, struggling up the stairs, crawling up the hill. She and Ichigo started running, she was leading him to the back of the shrine where the big fence was, they could hop it and then get down the wooded hill to the park on the other side. But Zombies were coming out from behind the sheds and even the main shrine, trapping them, leaving them surrounded.

She looked at Ichigo he was merely readying himself, and then they were fighting. Kagome shot four before too many were too close, then she drew her knives and start killing the Zombies best as she could. One had just fallen her knife severing it spine, when she saw So'unga's Zombies, the masks of the samurai they had been, the blue skin giving them away. Turning to Ichigo she tried to get the words out to explain what they were, but her panic made her stammer. Distracted Ichigo was grabbed by one and she was reminded of her own peril, fighting she killed three more dead humans, and barely managed to kill one of So'unga's, the knives just weren't doing enough damage to kill them easily. She turned back to Ichigo wondering how he was doing, her heart beat was drowning out any other sound.

Her eyes searched for Ichigo's orange hair, the two of them had been separated a bit, killing another zombie her eyes continued to look and then she found him. Her heart beat skipped, he was being held by three of So'unga's zombies, he was fighting, his crow bar smashing one in the head repeatedly, his knife stabbing into the leg of another, it just wasn't enough.

She wasn't sure if she called out and drew more to her or if it was just too late, because she lost sight of him in the mob of zombies, killing one, two, three, then four and five. It must of have been two minutes or so since she saw him. But then she did see him again, the three of So'unga's had become four and they were holding him out like some sort of buffet for the others because she could see he had been bitten twice, once on the arm and once on the leg. He was fighting so hard, and she could see him looking at her, yelling something. But she was frozen, her heart barely beating, he had been bitten, her mother had eaten her brother, why was she fighting?

Then her eyes saw her mother had escaped from the house, she was being let through by the other zombies, she was going for Ichigo. She started fighting again, she wouldn't let her mother eat him too.

She killed a dozen, or more but she didn't keep count, and she barely let herself blink, her eyes locked on her shambling mother, who was getting closer and closer to Ichigo. She herself was moving even slower then her Zombie mother, of course the Zombies were letting her mother through, not standing there like an almost living wall.

She killed another blood splattering her face, the spray forcing her eyes to close, opening then she saw Ichigo had killed two of them and was standing, but his back was to her approaching mother.

"Ichigo! Behind you!" That time she knew the words left her lips, his head was turning back and everything, but a it was a little too late.

Her mother fell upon him, horrid mouth wide, teeth yellow with Souta's old blood, she clamped down on Ichigo's throat, in reach because he was still off balance from the zombie holding on to his leg. Kagome had a flash of all the times her mother had told her she loved her, of all the times, her mother supported her, telling her she could do it; the arms wrapped about Ichigo's shoulders had held her many many times giving her comfort, those shoulders had carried the burden of the shrine, and two children, her mother was many many things but now there was only one thing, hunger.

Blood splashed from the bite on Ichigo's throat, she could see his mouth open trying to scream or yell she wasn't sure which. Then she could see any more details she was crying and the world was a mist of colored blurs, she lashed out with her knife trying to kill the bluish blob in front of her, it back handed her.

The world spun and then began to clear, she was sprawled on her side, both her knives lost, her arrows next to useless without her bow. Then a shadow crept over her, looking up she saw a crowd of Zombies surrounding her all staring down at her, looking back to where Ichigo had been she saw his body laying spread eagle on the ground his glazed amber eyes staring her way, the wound in his throat a making mockery of the man she had cared for.

Then the crowd behind her began to move, parting like they had for her mother, she turned afraid it was her, she turned ready for it to be her, but it wasn't, it was worse. Souta's blood smeared face stood looking down at her, or seeming too, then he seemed to leer before throwing himself at her, mouth wide and ready to eat her.

She sat up, screaming.

The first thing that met her tear filled eyes was a pair of warm brown eyes, and orange hair. She flung herself at him, hitting his chest she tried regain a sense of equilibrium. His arms crept around her hugging her to his deliciously firm chest. Breathing deep Kagome realized she was covered in sweat, and had, before waking up, been laying in the bed she had claimed of the many bedrooms. One she climbed into several hours ago.

Her breathing slowed, panic retreating with the realization it had been a dream, a horrible one, but just a dream, there was no way So'unga was going to pop up in the middle of this. She pulled back and realized everyone was in her room, Yuzu and Karin looking alarmed, though Karin was calming down, Chad was looking over the two girl's heads, Will was next to him and Mrs. Ebina was behind them. Ichigo was sitting on the bed, looking at her with nothing but concern in his eyes, "Kagome you okay?"

She looked at him, okay wasn't the word she'd use, she still could feel the sense of absolute panic she'd felt seeing him cornered by the Zombies, never mind when her mother had killed him. But she get over it, she had been here before after all. "I'm fine."

Yuzu spoke up, "What were you dreaming about? It sounded like someone was torturing you."

Kagome realized swallowing, that scream she had been screaming when she woke up wasn't the only one judging by her throat. Kagome thought over the dream, for one she might as well have been tortured, two it was only old fears of being useless coming back to haunt her, she couldn't save her family, she couldn't save Ichigo, old fears. "I might as well have been. But don't worry," she addd seeing the girl whiten, "It's just an old nightmare."

With a new spin on it. She added in her head.

Ichigo seemed to have sensed she wasn't being entirely honest, but he said nothing in front of his sisters, Chad and Mrs. Ebina were leaving, Will seemed to have something to say, but he took one more look at her and Ichigo and apparently decided to save it, because he gave her a small smile and a nod and he left. Karin gave her a measuring look before leaving. Yuzu looked between her and Ichigo before smiling lightly, "Kagome how about I get you a cup of water?"

Kagome nodded, she did need something to drink, "Thank you Yuzu."

The girl left leaving her and Ichigo, she looked back at him to find him watching her, seeing she was looking at him again, he spoke. "Old dream hun? I'm pretty sure you only learned my name a few days ago."

Kagome felt a flush creep across her cheeks, "Sorry, the dream itself was new but the point is old."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "And the point is?"

Kagome sighed, "I fear not being able to protect or help those I care about."

Ichigo looked stunned, she waited for him to speak but what he did was run a hand over her cheek, brushing her hair back. Enjoying the soft touch she was almost surprised when he started to talk, "I find that funny, that's been my greatest fear since my mother died when I was nine, she died protecting me."

Another moment of silence and then he went on, "I almost had a heart attack when you first screamed my name, I thought you were being attacked or that the gate was giving in. I'm just glad I'm the only one who realized what you had screamed."

Kagome flushed, glad it was dark so he wouldn't see, she spoke. "I'm sorry I scared you."

She could see a flash of white teeth in the moonlight shining through her window, she could hear the amusement in his voice as he spoke; "Kagome I'm just glad it was only a nightmare, you were screaming so loudly I though for sure you were hurt."

Kagome wanted to say sorry again but knew it wouldn't do any good, so she stayed quiet, then Yuzu knocked, "I have your water Kagome."

"Thank you." She took it from the girl's hand, she sipped deeply, Yuzu seemed to smile, then she spoke again, "See you in the morning." Then she left without saying anything about her older brother's presences.

The silence got awkward, Kagome suddenly remembered she wasn't wearing a bra, even if he likely couldn't see anything. She sipped a little more, then Ichigo stood, "Goodnight Kagome."

Kagome suddenly felt her weak inner voice speak up, and before she could stop herself she was asking, "Can you stay just a little longer? I just want to talk a little more."

She saw his shoulder turn and knew he was looking at her, but because he was standing she couldn't see his face. Then after a long moment he spoke, "Sure." then he sat back down.

Feeling relived, she set the cup on the bed table she knew was to her left, realizing Ichigo hadn't spoke up yet she decided to start. "You know, your sisters remind me of me when I was younger."

Ichigo leaned forward enough that she could see his face again, "Really?"

Kagome nodded, thinking back to that day, her fifteenth birthday. "Yeah, I can't help but think of Yuzu, and even Karin as kids and I feel bad, because their a lot older then I was, but they've never been there. So their kids in my head."

Ichigo snickered, "I feel the same, but with me they brush it off as me being over protective."

Kagome smirked, not that he could see, "You are. You're their older brother, you're supposed to be. You just might have more reason to be."

Ichigo seemed surprised, and he looked at her with the same look Karin had given her minutes before. "What... how... What exactly do you mean I know why I should be protective?"

Kagome smiled but knew if he could see it he would see no mirth, "Ichigo I was a lot like your sisters, maybe not as pretty, but for one I don't have an older brother, so I had to deal with my unwanted suitors myself, and two I saw your chest that first morning. I've seen wounds like that fresh, humans don't survive that."

He seemed to be gaping at her, clearly unsure how to answer that, or even just respond, feeling her tiredness come back she stifled a yawn, "Goodnight Ichigo, you should sleep we have too much to do tomorrow."'

He stood when she started to scoot down in the bed, "Goodnight Kagome." He left the room shutting the door behind him, she rolled over on her side, she could feel a faint smirk on her lips but didn't bother wiping it away.

**7:15 a.m.**

Kagome woke at the sound of the alarm she had set for herself, rolling over she turned it off. Yawning she kicked the covers off, they fell off the bed. Apparently she had yanked them up during her dream so they weren't tucked under the edge of the mattress. Standing she stretched, then she grabbed her clothes and went to the bathroom so she could have a quick shower before she started breakfast.

Twenty five minutes later, she was clean, her hair braided, clad in her jeans and her clean shirt, her other set of under wear and shirt were drying in her room, she hadn't put her chaps on yet because they weren't going to leave for another two hours or so, and the house was warm enough she left her jacket in her room too.

Once down stairs she went straight to the kitchen, there she gathered up eggs, and then looked around struggling to figure out what she'd make. She had thought this was a western household but going through the fridge and the cupboards, she concluded they at least ate normal stuff. She pulled herself together and started the rice, then she got started on the miso soup, after that was started she started the omelets. It was a little after eight and she could hear people coming down the stairs. First to appear were Yuzu and Karin, Yuzu pouted at her, "I was going to make breakfast Kagome."

Kagome smirked at her, "You have to beat me to the stove Yuzu, but you can help me finish the soup."

Yuzu took over and quickly finished it, setting the table up with help from her twin for the seven of them, then Mrs. Ebina wandered in, grinning at the three of them she asked jokingly, "Can I keep you?"

They laughed and Mrs. Ebina started dishing up the finished rice, Kagome finished up the omelets and started slicing them up, finishing that she put on them on the table and went hunting for the pickles she had found earlier. Then she realized the men weren't down yet, "Karin can you make sure, your brother and the other guys are up?"

Karin nodded and dashed off, returning two minutes later just as Kagome was setting the pickles on the table, "They'll be down in a minute."

Kagome nodded, and brought the tea she had brewed in, sitting down; Will, Ichigo and Chad soon joined them, Ichigo and Will had clearly just finished showering, and Kagome once again was glad for the house, it had five bathrooms on the upper floor alone. Not to mention the nine bedrooms, the large kitchen, and the full dinning room.

Everyone sat down and they started, Kagome flushed at everyone's complements, but told them thank her mother, she was the one who taught her to cook. Kagome ignored the looks everyone gave one another, she knew the odds, but even after her dream she had to see them to believe it. Finishing up Kagome stood, she excused herself to go pull her jacket and chaps on, her boots were up there too.

Once dressed Kagome checked her bow, and refilled her quivers, tying her knives on, she left the room, ready to explain the plan she and Ichigo had agreed upon last night to the group. Getting down there she found Ichigo and Will clearing the table, others were washing and drying dishes.

Fighting the cheery thought of they were acting like a real family, she just jumped in, once everything was cleaned up and put away, she called them together, Ichigo took his place at her side they looked over the rest of the group, glancing over at Ichigo he seemed ready for her to tell the others what they'd decided upon. She gave in, wanting to get started. "Ichigo and I talked last night and agree the best way to do this, is for us, and Chad if you want, to leave. Will we need you to drive, then a few blocks from the shrine, Will you park, and then we go on foot so the Zombies aren't drawn by the engine to the shrine."

Yuzu was looking confused but Karin looked mad, Mrs. Ebina seemed to have grasped the point and was nodding along.

"Kagome what about me and Karin?" Yuzu asked.

Kagome looked at her and Karin, ignoring the glares she was getting from Karin she told them flat out, "You two and Mrs. Ebina will be staying here."

Yuzu gasped but Karin seethed, going on Kagome explained why, leaving out the they seemed like kids to her. "You need to guard the house and our supplies, besides we'll move faster with only a few people. When we get back from the shrine we'll came back here and spend the night, then we can head for the wall."

Yuzu was nodded resignedly, but Karin was gritting her teeth, but with no complaints Kagome nodded once, "Ichigo, Will let's leave in half an hour."

They nodded, Chad spoke up, "I'll stay here, you two will be faster without me."

Kagome nodded, ignoring the look Ichigo was giving Chad, Kagome left leaving the others to what they needed to do before leaving, she was ready.

**9:10 a.m.**

Kagome stood by the door leading to the garage, she was waiting for Will, Ichigo was already standing next to her, that was when Karin tailed by Yuzu caught up to her, Kagome could see the girl was still furious and braced for the fight coming.

"Kagome why did you agree with our brother? We can fight we should come."

Kagome thought it over, she could understand on one hand but on the other she believed she was making the right call. "Your brother didn't say you should stay, I did."

Karin eyed her narrowly and Kagome realized Karin had guessed, Yuzu however looked surprised.

"Why Kagome? I can guess and it pisses me off!" Karin glared.

Kagome wanted to hear it from the girl, "So why do you think?"

"Because you have treated us like kids even though you're only two years older! You have always been protecting us, and saying oh you don't have to do that, you don't get to do that, you aren't our mother!"

Kagome felt her head tip to the side, she could tell the girl felt better for having said it and that made her madder. Feeling old she sighed, "You're right, I'm not your mother, and I admit I have treated you like kids."

Kagome noticed Ichigo's glares at his sister, she could tell her was trying to make his unhappiness clear with his sister clear but at the same back her up by letting her talk. It was sweet. She also noticed, Mrs. Ebina and Chad watching from down the hall. "But I'm not sorry, Yuzu's already had a rough time of it, and you Karin have fighting spirt, and I admire it. But you are not a trained fighter, you don't seem to have any more practice then the last few days have given you. You do, I suppose, seem like kids to me. I've been in life or death situations since I was fifteen, I've had a hell of a lot of time to get used to blood, and death. And not just they died in a hospital dead because I'm sure you have seen dead people before now, but they died horribly, afraid, sad, crying, desperate, and even begging."

Karin stared at her again, Yuzu looked at her with wide eyes, Kagome could see from the corner of her eye Ichigo was looking at her too. The silence dragged on and Kagome could tell the two up the hall were afraid to move, to make any noise. Karin broke the silence, "Your point being? I already knew you had a lot more fighting experience, and I already had guessed you had been around death before. But what gives you the right to stop me or even us from coming along?"

Kagome shrugged, "Not sure it's so much the right as I ask you to consider how helpful your presences would be verses how unhelpful. After all we're going after my family, and if you can't guarantee you'll be more help then trouble, please stay here, make sure the house stays secure, and we'll be back in a few hours."

Karin's face was screwed up in frustration, but Kagome could see the girl understood, smiling softly she reached over and hugged the slightly shorter girl, resting her chin on her shoulder she whispered thank you.

Pushing the younger girl away she saw Will step out into the hall, likely he had been listening but hadn't wanted to interrupt, Yuzu and Karin looked to their brother, Karin glared sternly "Ichigo you'd better get back here before dinner and be in one piece or so help me!"

He nodded, Yuzu gave him a hug, and then the three of them left.

Climbing in the car Kagome sat up by the window between the back and the driver, Will climbed in and started the engine, Chad and Ichigo opened the gate and Mrs. Ebina shot at the zombies most dangerous to Ichigo and Chad. Will barreled through the gate, smashing a clearing in the Zombies. Ichigo hopped in after closing the gate, Chad waved goodbye and they sped off.

Ichigo sat next to her as she pulled her map from her backpack, pulling her pen out she marked two routes to the shrine, that done she slipped her free hand into Ichigo's. He squeezed and she smiled at him.

**11:32 a.m.**

Kagome stared out the window at the tipped bus, it was completely blocking the street, the alley around was too small for the car, they were fifteen blocks from the shrine, didn't sound far at all till you add up the fact this had been the last route to the shrine, out of eight, and in those fifteen blocked blocks there were: Houses, apartments, two schools, and several shops, not to mention half a dozen major businesses. And with all routes blocked, most of the zombies were trapped in there, meaning more then she had been counting on.

Will turned the car off, and the nearest half a dozen Zombies stopped walking towards them with purpose, just interest. Kagome sighed, this had just gotten a lot harder. Noticing Will was looking at her through the window she smiled, even though it came out weakly, "Will give us four hours, if we're not back..."

Will looked pained, but Ichigo surprised her, he finished it. "Will you leave, don't hang around and give us more time, just leave, get back to the house grab my sisters and everyone and just go."

Will flinched, "You two don't have to do this, we can already tell..."

Kagome cut him off, "I know it's swarming, but I have to know."

Ichigo nodded from next to her, "And I can't let her go alone."

Will looked at them and sighed, turning he looked back out the windshield. "Fine, four hours."

Kagome smiled, and then looked at her watch, "See you before three forty."

Will nodded, Ichigo walked back to the door and opened it, and hopped out, at the sound the Zombies were back to charging, Ichigo started killing them while she hopped out, shutting the door she helped him shooting down a few further out, then they headed for the alley.

Ten minutes later Kagome and Ichigo found themselves hiding inside the doorway of some building that probably had been offices. They had barely managed to get a block away from where they'd left Will, frustratingly it seemed that everyone who had lived here was in the streets.

Kagome was just relieved she hadn't seen anyone she knew yet.

She looked over at Ichigo, he was watching the crowd outside that seemed to be blindly searching for them; bumping into one another, bouncing off the burned out wreck of a car that was in the middle of the road, stumbling over the bodies of other dead zombies. She looked back at him, and then looked around the inside of the building, nothing had stumbled out at them but... she looked back outside.

"There is no way we can make it through that mess." she hissed at Ichigo.

He nodded and whispered back, "We had better go out the back." He took point, his crowbar working best close quarters. Kagome found herself wishing she had a better close quarters weapon then her knives. After all it was bad enough he was coming along to help her but if he took point... his odds of being bitten went up. But the building was empty, they were out the back door, it barely squeaked, and there was nothing but a few bodies were back there. They walked along the back of the buildings, the tiny alley was eerily quiet.

Reaching the main street, they found while not packed like the other side of the street there still seemed to be too many Zombies for reason. Till Kagome realized that was right across from the school, tempted to knock herself up side the head, she pointed at the high school, Ichigo looked at her and nodded, his face grim. Waving him back deeper in, forty feet back she told him the best route to get them closer to the shrine. "Ichigo we have to walk to the left for the next block, then we can cut through an apartment complex, on to the street on the far side of the school."

He nodded, and followed her out, from the exit of the alley, Kagome started jogging making sure to step lightly and keep an eye out for glass, or bullet casings. Surprisingly quickly they were around the corner and out of sight, this street had even less Zombies and Kagome found herself wondering if all the zombies had heard the engine and gone for the car. Slipping down the next block Kagome found hope growing in her chest, there might be hope, there was only a dozen on this street. Then she cut across the yard of the apartment complex, Kagome found herself cringing when she saw the bodies of the pets people had kept, cats, dogs, a couple of birds, one really big lizard that might have been an iguana. Ichigo touched her shoulder and they moved faster.

They had crossed the next street going up a side street, when Kagome saw a fast movement, whirling she found herself looking at a surprised man who had a gun leveled at her. Seeing she was alive he lowered it, Ichigo relaxed a touch behind her, she hadn't noticed his hand ready to try to grab her out of the way if the man chose to fire.

Looking him over she realized he was America military, the fatigues and the flag gave it away, if his coloring was somewhat confusing, his black hair, and tan skin, with brown eyes could be just about anything. He stepped closer caution written on his features, stopping a foot away he spoke in English. "I don't know if you speak English, but you shouldn't be here."

It took Kagome a moment because he had something of an accent but she picked out what he meant, she had been in English set three because she thought it would help her find a job. "I speak some english but I don't know everything."

His face relaxed, and Kagome realized he was in some sort of pain, because tension lines that didn't seem normal, were there.

"I'm Carlos Olivera, I was with the American military."

Kagome nodded, subtlety looking him over for his injury, "I'm Kagome Higurashi, he's Ichigo Kurosaki."

Looking at him she was guessing mid thirties but he could be older or younger, she wasn't sure. But he was favoring his left leg, just a little not bad at all, he'd probably pulled a muscle or landed wrong.

Carlos went to say more when there was a growl near them, he jerked, and Ichigo turned, watching her back. Kagome looked around and realized quiet as they'd been, it hadn't been enough, half a dozen zombies were stumbling this way. Carlos had his gun up and it seemed to have a silencer on it, but he also seemed to know that still would be enough noise to get them swarmed.

Realizing the way towards her house was clear enough, she hissed their names: "Ichigo, Carlos this way."

And she charged off, keeping her strides long but loose, still as silent as possible, two blocks closer to her house, they seemed to be alone, making sure there were not open doorways ready to spill a dozen Zombies she then spoke up, keeping her voice low. "Ichigo how much English do you know?"

He shrugged, "Enough to get the gist but not as fluent as you, you talk I'll listen."

She nodded, turning to look at Carlos she realize he was sweating and in a lot more pain, looking at him again she realized he hadn't pulled a muscle he'd been bitten. Shock made her speak up, "You've been bitten."

Carlos looked at her clearly surprised, Ichigo had his crowbar up and more ready, Carlos had clearly noticed, he took half a step back. He held his hands up, "Hey I know, but I should still have some time left, I swear I don't mean any harm."

Kagome looked at him hard, "You were trying to ask why we were here, why shouldn't we be here?"

Carlos looked at her, "You two don't know?"

"Know what?"

"You haven't seen the news in the last three days have you?"

Kagome shook her head.

"Wow, um. Tomorrow at noon their gonna bomb from here, in Tokyo to the far side of the coast, killing off the infection. I'm here because I was part of dozens of teams sent into infected areas to close nuclear energy plants, rescue national treasures, save survivors."

Kagome nodded and Carlos went on, "I'm here because I gave my seat up to a survivor and then rather then meeting up with my rescue ride I got bit and stayed behind."

She winced, walking around a death sentence hanging around his neck, she looked at Ichigo, he looked sympathetic too. That decided it for her, she knew her powers slowed it some, she could give him some more time. She stepped forward slinging her bow over her shoulder, "I can give you more time."

Carlos frowned confused, Kagome glanced back and Ichigo looked confused too, she spoke to Ichigo in japanese, "I told you I knew normal humans couldn't survive wounds like that, and I told you I met demons, here is a taste of what I learned in my adventures."

Knelling she went to pull Carlos' pant leg up, he pulled his leg away still confused. She looked up at him, he was frowning down at her. "Carlos let me see your leg, I can help."

"If you want to slap a bandage on it I already did that."

She shook her head, "I can give you more time, it'll take the pain away, you'll be you one second and then not the next, no wasting away, no nagging pain."

Carlos let her have his leg though he still looked doubtful, pulling the pant leg up, she then pulled off the wrapping, the bite was shallow barely bleeding, his pants must have protected him, just not enough.

Sighing she put her hand over it, his leg twitched, the sudden pressure must have hurt, but he let her. It took her a moment, but she healed it. Pulling her hand away she smiled at the smooth unblemished skin, she looked back at Ichigo, he had a crease between his brows he seemed to want to speak but still wasn't sure about Carlos.

Carlos was touching his leg, then he looked back at her amazed, "How did you do that?"

She shrugged, "Powers? Practice."

"No really."

She shrugged again, "Don't really want to talk about, it's pretty ridiculous."

Carlos raise an eyebrow, "Alien?"

Kagome frowned, "I'm sorry?"

"Are you an alien?"

"No."

"Are you some super human from a lab?"

"No..."

"Then I think you can tell me."

She looked at Ichigo, he was keeping his face blank but the spark in his eyes, that said he'd understood enough to laugh at her. "Find, time travel."

"You mean you time traveled?"

She nodded.

"To the future?"

"No, five hundred years in the past, or a past, not sure. But I learn I had powers and learned to use them."

Suddenly down the street there was a crash, the sound of shattering glass, Kagome looked back, feeling like she was moving in slow motion. There hadn't been any zombies she'd noticed before...

She groaned, and heard Ichigo echo it, that was the daycare, meaning a group of fifteen or more three year old zombies were charging them. Oh and their teacher.

For a horrible minute Kagome just felt sad, these poor little kids, they hadn't had a chance, not to fight, not to run. But... Kagome let her bow slid down her arm into her waiting hand, kids or not they would still kill her and Ichigo and Carlos. Besides she had fought children who wanted to kill her before, Kanna, Kohaku, Hakudoshi, the baby that had been Naraku's heart.

She knocked her arrow, and aiming at the little boy zombie who was making a hissy screech and driving the others mad, she let go and it took him in the head, he fell knocking the two little zombies behind him down.

She drew another arrow and glanced at the two men, both of them were staring at her, surprise and shock clear on their faces. She looked back and shot the teacher next who was faster then the little ones, drawing another arrow she then began to back up, heading for the side street leading to the shrine, one of her favorite routes home from high school. Having passed the two men who seemed too shocked, she then hissed, "Come on!"

Ichigo snapped out of it and started clearing the way for her while she covered their backs, Carlos was still slightly stunned, but he was moving even if he still wasn't using his gun, that really was more of a plus.

They ran up the hill quickly out pacing the small zombies, but Kagome didn't stop even when the two men slowed, she just ran on ahead, and they started up again, Kagome shot two, then three more Zombies but no where near the numbers they'd faced by the car. Then faster then Kagome really was ready for, they were at the base of the shrine. Stopping she stared up the steps a sense of dread growing, she really didn't want Souta and her mom to be zombies, but saying it wasn't possible would be lying to herself.

Ichigo touched her shoulder, "I could go up alone if you want?"

Kagome looked over her shoulder at him, her heart warmed a little, he was so sweet. "No we all go."

He nodded, and took point, killing the three zombies trying to climb the stairs. Reaching the top, Kagome searched the grounds, there was several zombies wandering the ground, but not one of them was her family. Shaking her head, Ichigo then started to kill the Zombies, she helped shooting them down, Carlos just hung around and made sure nothing snuck up on them, once the grounds and shrine were clear Kagome turned to the house.

Taking a deep breath, she lead the way, Ichigo close behind. She opened the door to the kitchen, glad it had been locked, that meant nothing had come in this way. The kitchen was empty, nothing no sound, not a single splatter of blood, the living room and dinning room were the same. The halls were silent, and empty, warring relief and fear pumped in her veins. Heading upstairs, she cleared the rooms, nothing. She looked at Ichigo, he shrugged back at her, she nodded, and then last just like in her dream she went to check her grandfather's room, and when the door opened on an empty room her breath escaped her and she almost slumped on the floor in relief.

But where was her family?

Carlos spoke up behind them suddenly, "I didn't ask before but is this your house?"

Kagome turned her head to look over at him, "Yes, this is my house, I was in Karakura when the outbreak started, he's from there, I wanted to find my family."

Carlos nodded, "Well great, you found out they aren't here, and you need to be a hundred miles away in less then a day."

Kagome looked at him, "You said something about bombs..."

He nodded, "The government or who ever is in charge found out about the weakness for fire the zombies have, they can't last long, and so realizing it was mostly contained by the battle lines, and the walls they got up, it was decided to drop incendiaries. Killing the infected, and sanitizing everything. That happens tomorrow at noon."

"Wow." Ichigo breathed, Kagome found herself agreeing with him, but it was good there was a plan to end this. "Wow is right."

Kagome looked about the kitchen, the idea that it would be gone tomorrow was strange, then her eye caught on the tiny blinking red light. She gasped and dashed for the answering machine, pressing play, she shushed the two men who asked in two different languages what she was doing. Her mother's voice came on filling the room.

"_Kagome if you're listening to this, you silly silly girl! You should have gotten out! Of course I know you and Souta knows you so we called to let you know when you got home, you would know we were outside the left the same day you did, the reason was I got a strange phone call from a very old friend, she asked we get out of Tokyo, something strange was going on and she said it wasn't safe to stay. So I pushed you to go on the trip and left for my friend's cabin. But then soon after we arrived we found out that Karakura wasn't far enough. So now that you know we're safe get out of there! Love you."_

There was a beep and second one came on; _"Kagome you had better not waste any time on the twentieth their gonna bomb the whole area inside the walls, so get out!"_

Kagome felt her whole body sag with relief, Souta and her mother were safe. They'd never been in danger. She laughed, joy bubbling inside her, she looked up and Ichigo was grinning at her, Carlos looked confused but it seemed he'd guessed it was good news since he wasn't asking questions. Straightening, she remembered they didn't have much time, and if the shrine was gonna be gone this time tomorrow... She spoke to Ichigo, "Ichigo can you go outside and keep an eye on things and make sure we aren't being swarmed outside?"

He nodded and started to leave, she then spoke in english to Carlos; "My family is safe, so I'm gonna grab a few pictures, and some things of value and then we'll go."

Carlos clearly thought they should just leave but said nothing, just nodding.

She turned and ran up to her room, grabbing her mementos from the feudal era, and some pictures of her friends, she then went to her mother's room and grabbed the pictures of her father her mother had and all the money in the small safe, not to mention all the family records. Then stuffing them in her bag, she looked around and grabbed her mother's jewelry. Then into her brother's room, grabbing his trophies she stuffed them in too, looking around again she then saw the few pictures he had and she added them to her bag.

Dashing down stairs she grabbed a few of her Grandfather's most precious things, the whole history of the shrine as they knew it, his painting of his parents, and then the picture of him and grandma. Then she remembered she hadn't grabbed the best picture of Buyo, dashing back to the living room she grabbed that. Standing there she counted off what she had grabbed, documents, pictures, some more underwear to pad some of the frames, her brother's trophies, her mother's jewelry... Stuff about the shrine... Money... A few of her grandfather's things... Money from the cash register. She dashed outside and passed Carlos to grab that, that done she joined Ichigo, Carlos trailing behind her. She quickly saw what he was looking at, the street below them wasn't to crowded, but a block away she could see the children drifting about, searching for them.

And even if she couldn't see beyond it she could guess what was waiting beyond it, more and more of the same. Mentally even as she tried to think of another way back to the car she knew the truth of the matter, there was no other way back, they had to get through it.

She closed her eyes, her backpack was much heavier then before, even with her leaving the coins behind, the pictures, jewelry, trophies, the papers and money added up. She found herself afraid that part of her dream might yet come true. She after all had lead him here.

In to this death trap almost as sure as any of Naraku's.

A hand touched her shoulder and without opening her eyes she knew who it was, the scent of his skin reaching her nose, then he tilted her chin up and she obeyed and opened her eyes. Staring down at her a small smirk on his lips, Ichigo spoke. "Cheer up, we've survived worse."

The cold stone in her stomach didn't move, "Ichigo we had a car, and several other people with us."

He snorted, "Lie all you want but you know what I meant."

Now she snorted, "That is why I'm worried, testing your luck again and again isn't heathy, because one day it runs out."

He let the smirk die, "I'll make sure you see your family again."

She slumped a little more, "That's what I'm afraid of, how would I face your sisters if anything hap..."

Ichigo put a hand over her lips, "Kagome shut up, we're gonna make it."

Then Carlos spoke, "Hey love birds."

Kagome turned to look at him and Ichigo did the same, Carlos was smirking but Kagome could see the grimness in his eyes, he knew just as well as she did getting through the crowd would be impossible.

"Kagome," Carlos yanked a necklace from about his throat, as he held it out she realized it was his dog tags. "Give this to my family, tell them I love them. I'll give you and Ichigo a chance."

Kagome was speechless, he was dying but he was incredible brave to offer, but Ichigo stepped away from her, offering his hand he spoke in english; "Thank you."

Carlos blinked seeming a touch surprised, but he dropped the tags and Ichigo closed his hand into a fist, Kagome found her voice, "He's right, thank you, we'll remember you and tell your family."

Carlos nodded once, and she didn't say anything about the sparkle of tears in his eyes, bowing once she noted Ichigo was straightening at the same time. Kagome then spoke, "Walk with us to as far as you can, then we'll hide in a doorway."

Carlos nodded, and Kagome set off down the stairs, glad she had added her arrows from the house to her bag. Clearing the street below them they set off at a slow jog. Clearing the walk way Kagome barely stopped to collect arrows, she actually only grabbed the ones from the Zombies that dropped right in front of her.

They had made it passed the children and even half a block more before it was pretty much impassible.

Kagome looked at Carlos, he smiled faintly and without another word started going the opposite way, she and Ichigo headed for the mostly empty store, and the shots started and she could hear Carlos shouting some words she was pretty sure were curses, drawing as much attention as possible. Kagome closed her eyes, just listened as the groans heading towards the noise, Carlos was getting further and further away but the shots had stopped, he was still yelling but it sounded desperate, not in pain but like he was running and couldn't get enough air.

She opened her eyes and wasn't too surprised to find her eyes were blurry with tears. Ichigo seemed to be staring at her rather then watching the zombies shamble past them, blinking she was able to clear her eyes enough to see his face, it was hard and grim. Breathing deeply she calmed herself, tears stopping she stared back, only watching the zombies out of the corner of her eye, minutes passed and Kagome found she had stopped listening for Carlos, she didn't want to hear any more, she knew what he'd done and that was enough.

The Zombies seemed to be slowing, not so much because Carlos had stopped yelling, but probably because the Zombies coming from the other side had met up with this sides, meaning Carlos had taken to a building. Looking back to Ichigo she nodded and he nodded back, they quickly took to the street.

It was still crowded but not the mob from before, jogging Kagome just dodged the Zombies, Ichigo did the same, only he used his crowbar to push some out of his way. Before Kagome knew it they had gotten through five more blocks, leaving them with nine to get back to the car. With that thought Kagome noticed an empty alley, stopping Ichigo who had been a few steps behind her, she pointed and he shrugged. Kagome looked up the street; it was crowded and looked like it would only get worse the closer to the car they got.

That decided it, she turned and lead the way down the alley, Ichigo followed her without question. Half way down it Kagome remembered where it would come out. She stopped and looked back up past Ichigo, the entrance was crowded already and looked like one was coming up behind them.

Shaking her head, she lead them ahead towards the second high school, they quickly reached the end of the alley, lucky for them there was a tank parked in front of the alley, climbing on top of it she and Ichigo could see over the fences of the houses, and over the meandering heads of zombies. Picking out a path she realized it was leading them away from the car and Will, but it looked to be the safest and only sure way out of this block.

Looking over at Ichigo she got a grim smile and in rhythm they hopped off the tank and ran for it. They had gotten a whole two blocks before they again had to turn the left, running they followed the path of least resistance, they reached the ten block point and only then did it sink in how far away from the car they had gotten. They had stopped in an almost empty block compare to the others, and then Ichigo noticed something. He stopped dead, confused shock clear on his face, looking the same way he was all she could see was two police zombies and a girl in a black kimono with a sword... thinking about that, this was modern Tokyo so that was strange but not impossibly so why was he staring so?

Then his mouth formed a name or some words and she got it he knew the girl. A flash of jealousy hit her but she pushed it aside, he'd lost friends some even to her hand, she had no right, almost girlfriend or not. But Ichigo seemed to have done something because the girl zombie was turning almost as if she heard him... then the girl clearly looked at her and lunged.

Kagome just reacted, drawing an arrow from her nearly empty quivers, another reason they had started running away from Zombies, and fired. To her awe and confusion the arrow glowed a soft pink before sinking into the forehead of the charging Zombie. Ichigo was now staring at her, his expression making her nervous, something in it...

Then the other two nearest them moved making it clear she had made too much noise with the twang of her bow string, the two of them set off no words being said about what had just happened. Reaching the edge of the fifteen block point they had to kill half a dozen, even though it grated on her Kagome let Ichigo kill most of them because she needed to conserve ammo, after all she had a feeling the hardest was yet to come, they weren't in the car yet. Wiggling she managed to slid out of the blockade by going under the tank, from under the vehicle she watched the full dozen zombies on the other side.

After a few seconds Ichigo was settled next to her, they watched the aimless mob and Kagome glanced down at the watch she had grabbed from the house they'd left Ichigo's sisters at, it read 2:26. Hard to believe they had been running around for close to three hours.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled silently, looking over at Ichigo she watched him count down till they hopped out, the moment he made a fist she scrambled out from under the car her back pack dangling from her hand by a strap, Ichigo killed the Zombie nearest them, she slung her bag back on. Grabbing another arrow she shot one clearing the way.

The two of them scrambled onto an empty porch and surveyed the new area, it had just as many zombies as on the other side but they weren't as clumped, leaning close Ichigo whispered in her ear, "I'll take point again, and try to get us to the car, if it's too swarmed we hang back a block or two and signal Will and have him drive over to pick us up."

Kagome nodded as he pulled back, and after a few sips of water, they started off again.

Killing another one Kagome was surprised by the numbers, she would have thought after the engine turned off the Zombies would have started drifting off, but they couldn't, wouldn't even see the car for another several blocks and they were practically fighting through a swarm.

Two blocks from the car she and Ichigo had to give up and go inside a building, it was just too close and walking through that many zombies Kagome was sure they'd pick out your breathing. After killing the three zombies drifting about the first floor of the shopping center she and Ichigo had a conference and Ichigo threw her a bit of a curve ball; "Kagome I'll sneak up to the car and wave at Will so he'll drive around the block."

Kagome shook her head hard, how the hell did he think he'd get through the numbers outside? "No there are too many, one will hear your breathing or something or you'll push one out of the way and it'll knock into another and then one of those others will hit something. There is no way."

Ichigo frowned thinking, "Then how do we get to Will?"

Kagome closed her eyes, thinking the only thing she could come up with was the roofs, if they could go across the rooftops she could shoot one of her last three arrows, with any luck Will would understand, and drive around the block a few times, killing some of the zombies and leading the rest far enough away by the time he circled back around to them they could just jump in the car.

She opened her eyes, "Ichigo I'll go to the roof and shoot the roof of the car, hopefully Will will look around and you need to stand at the doors and wave so he might see you, hopefully, he'll drive away a few blocks before circling around to pick us up. Agreeable? Neither of us will have to do anything suicidal."

He looked at her for a moment before nodding, "Agreed."

She looked around the empty store before realizing she would have to go outside and climb a building with a fire escape, she turned back to Ichigo. "I'm gonna leave my bag with you and you'd better not forget to grab it. Got it?"

He nodded a small smirk on his lips, "Don't forget the giant purse on pain of death. Got it."

She dropped her bag at his feet making sure to squash his right foot, he winced and yanked his foot free, she smirked this time. "Teach you to mock my 'giant purse'."

He frowned at her, but she could see he was amused, grabbing one of her three arrows, and holding her bow she crept out one of the doors. Stepping silently around the smelly corpuses littering the street she realized Will had already drove circles around the block before, reaching the alley she was glad to see a latter up the side of the building. She promptly started climbing, yesterday or possible even days before some had used this latter to climb above the crowd before, and she could tell because the dumpster was already under it, making it a easy for her to get up.

She quickly reached the top, then frowned, clearly the person before her hadn't gotten far, he was pressed up against the low wall around the edge of the building, so far he had failed to climb it and so hadn't fallen, and clearly no one had been up after him. She barely stifled a sigh, hopping over the side, she drew her left knife, slipping closer and closer. Then he heard her, turned a snarl on his face he walked right into her knife. She pushed him away, and she ignored the small thump as his body hit the ground, walking to the edge she saw Ichigo looking up, looking for her.

She waved, and he waved back, she then looked to the car. It was swarmed, she had known that before climbing up the side of the building, but from up here she really could see the hundreds of zombies, pressing in on the car from all sides. Looking down she could only thank the gods for her being able to come up with a plan good enough to stop Ichigo.

Other wise he'd been dead already.

She swiped her knife on the body to clean it and then she put it away, taking her arrow from her other hand she then drew back her bow, and then she hesitated. If she just shot the window would she shatter it? And if she just shot a zombie would Will notice? He after all was probably reading something to avoid looking at the crowd around him.

Then the Zombie on the hood of the car stood a little straighter and she realized if she shot that one from the right angle it would thump loudly on the car but shouldn't slid off. Leaving the arrow in sight. Crossing to the far side of the roof she lined up her shot, taking a few deep breaths, she waited. Then the moment came where it was prefect, sure the Zombie wouldn't fall from sight she fired.

It hit true, and the Zombie slumped with a loud thud, something that echoed about the block. It took about a minute but then the engine started and he drove away from them, drawing the Zombies away.

She ran for the latter and scrambled down it, rushing to met Ichigo. As she moved down the latter she noted it was strange that the engine sound was so clearly heard. But quiet was something she had gotten a bit more used to in the passed few days.

Reaching Ichigo she took her pack, and then not fifteen seconds later Will roared up and they jumped in ignoring the blood smeared and splattered sides. Will stomped on the gas and they roared away on they're way back.

"Did you find them?" Will asked as he drove.

"Yep, they left the city before the outbreak."

"Good."

"Yep."

Ichigo grinned at her from the opposite seat, and she smiled back glad they had made it out bite free. Then Ichigo looked serious, "Your powers?"

She nodded, "I traveled to the past five hundred years ago, I met demons, and found magic objects. I learned I had powers and learned to use them. I can tell you more outside the wall when your safe but I want to hear more about you."

He nodded, "I was fifteen..."

Kagome gasped surprise both their lives changed at fifteen but waved him on she could tell him later.

"When a soul jumped through my window she told me she was a Soul Reaper, I didn't believe her she looked all of twelve. But then me and my family were attacked by a hollow, a rouge soul, and I ended up forcing her to get hurt saving my ass. Then to save us both, she gave me her powers. I took over killing hollows for her and thought that was it. Then her brother and best friend came for her, I almost died that night, they meant to kill me, it was after all illegal to give a human powers. But I lived thanks to Hat-and-Clogs, he trained me and got me my own powers, then he told me Rukia was gonna die for helping me, so I took Chad, Inoue, Ishida and Yoruichi to Soul Society."

Ichigo took a sip of water before going on; "After a number of fights, where I gained both power and experience and a fair number of my scars I found out it had been a set up, a set up between Hat-and-Clogs and Aizen. That was something that had been brewing for a hundred years before me. Urahara -Hat-and-Clogs real name had been set up to die by Aizen but he escaped after finding out the man planned to become a god by killing hundreds of people. But he'd been framed so he could do nothing but plan to fight him later."

Scratching his head he grinned half sheepishly to himself. "Then me and Rukia walked in, so Aizen left Soul Society and started preparing his troops for a war. A war we won, but I lost my powers, it's only been the last year I've started seeing ghosts again. That girl that was killing Inoue and had killed Ishida was a Soul Reaper, and that girl Inane, was also a Soul Reaper. So I now find myself wondering if this plague didn't come from Soul Society."

Kagome nodded, "That might make sense... but who knows?"

Ichigo shrugged back at her, "It's just a thought."

She opened her mouth to ask something when Will spoke up, "Guys we need gas before we can get back to the house."

"Kay... ah.. pull off here there are two gas stations."

Will did so and they got off, lucky for them the first was empty. Hopping out Kagome was glad she had extra arrows in the car, arrow to her bow string she stood guard on one side while Will filled up. Sure enough they'd been there but two minutes and Zombies were drifting out of buildings towards them. Since she was full up on arrows again she started shooting zombies fell one by one, but the numbers were only growing, when the zombies were only fifty feet from them Will called, "All full. We can go!"

She scrambled in the open back quickly followed by Ichigo they roared off.

**5:02 p.m. The Safe House**

Kagome was glad to see the gate was mostly clear of zombies, she and Ichigo hopped out and let Will through, they were just closing the gate as Zombies started back up the hill towards them. Climbing back in the car she let Will drive her the rest the way up to the house, Ichigo jogged up behind them after checking the gate again.

Will and her hopped out of the car and Ichigo reached them, "We have half an hour to use the bathroom and get the car packed, we have a long drive ahead of us. Will drive for as long as you can, then let me or Mrs. Ebina take over, okay?"

He nodded, and the three of them turned to greet the welcoming four.

Yuzu and Karin threw their arms about Ichigo, having the sense not to squeal, she noted Chad looked pleased, and Mrs. Ebina was smiling at all three of them relieved. Kagome grinned back and gave Ichigo and his sisters a minute. But when they showed no signs of letting go she went ahead; "We met a solider who told us we have until tomorrow at noon to get outside the wall, they plan to drop incendiaries to kill the Zombies."

Everyone stared at her, she nodded, "Yep this won't go for ever, so we have half an hour to pack up and roll out, I don't want us cutting it close."

The twins looked at her and nodded, Chad nodded and disappeared back inside the rest following him.

**5:37 p.m.**

Kagome looked at the gate, it was still swarmed with Zombies, so many that she was pretty sure they couldn't open it. She looked to Will and Ichigo, Ichigo's face said he had realized the same thing, Will was just staring at the gate clearly trying to put together a plan on how to do this. But she had an idea, "You two give me a minute, I need to check something."

She jogged her way down to the gate, she wanted to check the gate's hinges, they had to be strong to hold up to the zombies but the question was would it give easily if they hit it from behind.

Sadly the answer was no, there was pretty much no way they could just ram the gate with the car without the car being damaged. So no they had to clear the gate some how. She got back to the boys and told them what she had found, "We can't just ram the gate because it's rod iron and cement. So do either of you have an idea on how to clear the gate and fifteen feet outside of it?"

Will looked away from the gate at her, "I might. If you guys don't mind setting some Zombies on fire."

She raised an eyebrow but Ichigo was grinning, "If it gets us out of here, I could burn down the whole house."

Will lead the way back into the house and to the small bar, there he started pulling out different drinks, brandy, rum, lots of different wines, beer, whiskey, and last a bottle of vodka. He grabbed the brandy, the rum, the whiskey, and the vodka. "Okay so I was thinking we could make something like a molotov cocktail only with booze. So I know that whiskeys burn well, rum should burn, and vodka should too and brandy is used in cooking so I think it should. Don't know how well it'll work but it should at least push some of them back."

Kagome nodded, "Okay."

Will looked about to speak again when the other three women and Chad showed up, Yuzu spoke, "what are you doing?"

Will answered, "Making our own fire bombs so we can clear the gate."

Karin nodded, "I knew we needed to clear the gate to get out." She spoke to the whole room but her eyes were on her sister who stuck her tongue out.

The next half an hour was spent hunting down and emptying all the glass bottles in the house, then they shredded towels from the kitchen and poured the booze in the bottles and added fuses. Carrying them out, which took two trips, they lined up about ten feet from the fifteen foot tall gate, it was pretty bad, not only was there non stop moans and groans, the smell was something better left unspoken about, that was something Kagome remembered vividly from her past travels, the smell. No one ever talked how bad it smelled to be in a fight, much less how bad it had smelled to be around corpses.

Taking the lighter from her pocket she flicked it and then set the fuse on fire and then cocking back her arm threw it, it smashed over the head of a zombie about three back from the gate. The flame was small, not like the explosions in the movies, but the reaction was obvious, the Zombie screamed and flayed setting ones around in on fire. Then three more flew and smashed setting more and more on fire, but the first started to crumple, just flaming bodies now.

She threw another and noted hair and clothes caught first, then the zombies would notice and some screamed others just moved jerkily, almost thrashing, but then they would stop moving and just crumple.

Only three were pressed up against the gate and not on fire, and the ones further back seemed to have backed up, or at least they weren't pressing forward. The gate was clear enough she set the bottle she had picked up down and drew her bow, she shot one, two, three. The thumps made the hoard lunge but when six or seven of the group caught fire the rest stopped pushing forward. Ichigo, Chad and Will threw three fresh bottles to keep the flames going.

"Go back to the car will get it going, hearing the gate move will like drive the group mad." Will didn't answer Ichigo just charged back up the driveway to the car where Mrs. Ebina and the twins waited with Sasha.

She nodded to the two boys and they rushed forward forcing the gate open, she hissed when her hands touched the hot metal, but she pushed on, Ichigo helping her while Chad manned the others by himself. The gate wide she didn't bother looking at the zombies trying to get across the dying flames to them, she just bolted up the driveway, Ichigo and Chad on her heals judging by the sound of running footsteps behind her.

The arrows clanked and her bow rattled on her shoulder and she grinned as the car zoomed forward and came to a quick stop a few feet from her. Dashing around the car she hopped in the open door, Chad and Ichigo just behind her. Chad shut the door and the car leaped forward and they were out the gate, running over the crowd.

**9:43 p.m.**

They had stopped for gas and Will asked someone else drive for him, he was so tired from all the driving he had done earlier he didn't want to risk dosing off at the wheel. Mrs. Ebina was gonna drive, Kagome moved up front to keep her company and to take over if Mrs. Ebina needed her too, the rest were gonna sleep in the back.

They hopped out and set up the perimeter and guarded Mrs. Ebina as she filled up, the crowd of zombies coming their way wasn't too big, but as always not numbers they wanted near them. Tank full after less then ten minutes they hopped back in and set off for the wall, hopefully they wouldn't have to stop for gas till dawn.

Kagome dosed on and off for the next five hours, some times she talked with Mrs. Ebina some times she just looked back and watched Ichigo sleep his sisters leaning on him, Chad was doing the same as her, dosing that is, the rest of the time he looked out the window, or watched the rest back, not just Ichigo and his sisters.

"Kagome?" Mrs. Ebina whispered.

"Yes?"

"There's gas station just a few miles ahead according to the sign, if I fill up we should be good to the wall."

Kagome nodded, "We'll drive by and see how bad it is. If it's mostly clear we stop."

Mrs Ebina nodded and they were quiet the rest the way there, driving by it looked clear nothing out on the streets. They pulled in and up and she with Mrs. Ebina hopped out, they filled up and amazingly nothing came at them. Kagome saw a few bodies, but no Zombies. She wanted to be relieved but instead... she felt worried. Someone or several someone had been back enough to keep this place clear, and she had a feeling remembering the groups she had met in the city they were not people they wanted to meet up with.

But they hopped back in the car and drove on.

**4:12 a.m.**

Mrs. Ebina pulled over, and parked waking her. "Sorry my dear I need a nap, just an hour or two, then I can drive."

Kagome wished she was rested enough but she didn't think she was, not to drive safely. "Sure two hours. She pulled out Souta's old phone that had still been charged and set a timer, then she leaned back into the seat and fell back asleep.

**6:13 a.m.**

Kagome jerked up right and then winced her neck hurt. She fumbled with the phone and managed to turn it off, Mrs Ebina was rubbing her own neck and Kagome could see the poor woman was still exhausted.

"Wass going on?"

She turned around and saw most of the back stirring, Chad was awake and blinking at her, Ichigo was rubbing his eyes like a child, Karin was clearly the one who asked as she was staring at her waiting for an answer.

"We pulled over for some sleep, I set an alarm so we would wake and be able to drive on with plenty of time."

Karin nodded and settled back into Ichigo, Yuzu was still asleep, Sasha was asleep on Will's leg, Will was snoring. Shaking her head Kagome looked out her window and found nothing, not a Zombie to found. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, this was wrong. Looking around all she saw was woods and an abandoned car. "Let me drive Mrs. Ebina you're still tired, I've had more rest."

Mrs. Ebina was tried because she just nodded and got out of the car, where she stretched, hopping out Kagome did the same. She stretched getting the kink out of her right side but she watched the streets, seeing nothing moving other then a lone bird she knew that getting out wasn't going to be as easy as they'd thought.

Climbing in the driver's side she started the car and then stopped. "I'm going to go make use of the trees."

Everyone awake nodded and Karin pushed away from her brother, "I'm coming too, "I'll watch your back." Kagome nodded and the two of them climbed out of the car. Kagome walked about ten feet from the road giving her some cover but still close enough she wouldn't get lost. Looking around she didn't see anything, so she unbuckled the chaps, and then dropped her jeans. Finished watering the bush, she stood and fixed her clothes. "Your turn Karin."

She heard a bit of rustling and a soft sigh, then something moved by a bush a few feet away, pulling her knife she walked over. She found her first zombie of the morning, it was trapped by a creek bed, what she had seen was it's hand trying to grab something to pull it's self up, it had probably been there all night.

Shaking her head she walked back to the tree where Karin was on the other side of.

"Done."

She walked out of the trees and noticed Chad was over on the far side behind some bushes, Ichigo was keeping guard, Mrs. Ebina was watching their side of the road. Mrs. Ebina walked over to them, "Watch my back I'm going to follow your example."

She nodded and with Karin walked the older lady back. They took guard positions around the bush watching Mrs. Ebina's back and after a few minutes climbed back in the car. Ichigo was pulling out food being careful not disturb Yuzu, he passed the food around and after she had had a few bites she started the car and started driving.

She didn't comment when Will who was talking to Chad said "It's oddly quiet, I don't see any Zombies."

But she noted looking back Ichigo did seem to be looking about a bit more alertly. The next half an hour went quietly, Yuzu woke up and ate the offered bread. But apparently everyone seemed to sense something wrong. Then she started to notice cars off to the side of the road, some of them looked pulled over and some of the had clearly crashed. She had a sinking feeling the wall would either be swarmed with Zombies and bodies or they were about to run into whoever had been keeping the area clear.

Five minutes later she was surprised when Mrs. Ebina screamed stop, without asking she stomped on the brakes. While the others in the back made enough noise she couldn't understand any of them she saw what made Mrs. Ebina shout. There was something spiked in the road, she could see the metal gleaming in the early morning sunlight. It made her remember all the crashed cars, all the pulled over cars. These people clearly had been sealing from people for most of the last week, and they had done very well at it, she could only hope they had taken the people's stuff and let them leave.

Easing her foot off the brakes she let the car roll down to only few feet from the spikes. Putting the parking break on she turned to look back at the group, "There are spikes in the road, I have a feeling the moment we step out we'll be surround by robbers, so heres the plan, me and one other will go out and try to move the spikes if we're lucky they've left already. Other wise I'll try to talk to them, if that doesn't work the moment I lift my arm over my head and drop it forward Mrs. Ebina you have got to get everyone out of here."

Karin opened her mouth to protest but Ichigo cut his sister off before she could get a word out, "Karin, do as she says, if we all go out there the better the odds get they'll just shoot us. If the loot and people are still in here, we have a chance to negotiate."

Kagome sighed, she had had a sinking feeling about who would go out with her. "Now if I give you the signal don't wait for us, drive, I don't know that we could walk to the wall as a group if the robbers let us go, the car is nonnegotiable. Me and Ichigo will make a run for the wall if you guys go. But don't hang around, the windows may be bullet proof but I don't know how the engine would hold up to being shot at."

Chad gave her a short nod and Will sighed, and agreed, Mrs. Ebina touched her shoulder and when she turned gave her a tremulous smile. Looking back to the twins she saw Yuzu was wiping tears and Karin was glaring furiously at the side of the car, but she could see the odd shine in her eyes that said she was holding back tears. Ichigo gave her a short nod, then pulling his sisters close gave them a tight hug. She couldn't bring herself to watch so she turned back till she was sitting in seat, grabbing her bow she grabbed several arrows and threw her door open, hopping out she did a quick scan and then shut the door.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, she just had some assumptions, but she was pretty sure she knew the types of people who did this sort of thing a little too well. All too well. Gritting her teeth trying to keep her cool, she stepped forward walking toward the mat of spikes laying in the road, her eyes watching for movement in the woods.

Her ears tuned for any noise heard the sound of the latch at the back opening, and the muffled step as Ichigo stepped out. Then the door shut, and he walked faster then she had, up to just behind her, and just like that she could pick up three... then four men... teens, coming out of the woods and now that she was looking that way fully she could pick out another six or so, turning to look at the other side she saw five different forms standing from behind bushes. "I count fifteen." she hissed to Ichigo.

"And all have automatic guns."

Kagome felt her jaw clench so hard for a moment she thought her teeth would break, but then she relaxed, it was just another thing she and Ichigo would have to handle. However they had too. Standing still she watched as the four men followed by two more from that walked up to them till they stood mere feet away, the seeming second in command pointed his gun at her and without looking back the leader spoke, "Drop it."

Realizing his eyes were on her bow and arrows she dropped them, knowing he had guns though he probably should have been worried about her knives, she'd use them the moment he got too close, him and his little band confirmed what she had been thinking, these were like the bandits of old, bastards and cowards the lot. The dyed hair, the piercings, the tattoos were new enough but the swagger of a coward who was sure he was the big man with a dozen men at his back was there.

She heard Ichigo's crowbar clatter to the ground but said nothing to busy watching the men across from her.

She had to admit if she were a bad guy walking around with purple streaked hair didn't exactly inspire fear, red or white might have been okay, but purple was just purple it wasn't even a dark purple, and... She hated him already, he was eyeing her all too lustfully, she could tell looking over his flunkies these were the kind of bandits that would take a pretty girl or two with them, if then let the rest of the group live. It was a damn good thing the twins were still inside the car.

She knew how to handle being leered at, she could probably handle a little groping if it gave her half a chance to put a knife to the perve's throat. Looking over the group again she realized this had been some city gang before they fled, they all had a black dragon on their body, and they knew how to use those guns, more then the last week would account for. Seeing as they weren't going to speak first she spoke, getting the feeling Ichigo was glaring them down behind her. "I'll give you all our food and water if you let us leave with the car."

"No deal bitch. We have the upper hand here, you're gonna give us everything."

The lingering eyes of him and his cohorts gave her the idea of what he meant by everything. Feeling her temper surge she kept her voice level.

"Then you're the idiot dick-weed, you won't be able to get in the car, windows are bullet proof and the doors lock. So you see there is something to bargain about."

If the short charge was suppose to scare her he'd have to do a hell of a lot more then that to get her to start, staring at her from the distance of six inches she was amused to find he was only taller then her by an inch or two.

Then she realized his cohorts had moved up behind him and were pointing the guns at Ichigo warningly. He chuckled in her face, "You forget who's holding the guns deary."

She noted his breath smell bad, but sadly she could actually say she had smelled worse. "They'll drive off the moment you start shooting and flat tires won't matter much, you can drive on them anyway. Or at least could drive far enough away on them that you guys won't matter."

He scowled, he didn't like that idea.

He really seemed rather simple, very thuggish... Then she realized the fifth man, the most normal looking of them all was watching with more then interested eyes. She watched him even as this guy got in her face even more, even as Ichigo shifted behind her clearly having a hard time keeping his cool with so many stupid annoying punks. Punks, that was a cover.

Reaching up she punched the thug in front of her down, he held his gut and coughed, hard, trying to get enough air, ignoring all the guns pointed at her she looked at the black haired, green eyed thug. Clearly color contacts. Worked well for him though. He saw her watching him and he sighed, and at the sound all the others stopped pretending to care about the moaner at her feet. Stepping up to her she realize this guy was as tall as Ichigo and far clever then the other, evil, and clever. Nothing worse then those two character traits paired together. He touched her chin and gently tilted her chin up, till he could stare into her eyes.

"I knew you and your boyfriend were trouble. No one else saw through Manuba-kun here. You're a smart one."

She could see the shine of lust in his eyes, he was much creepy then the others, his almost gentle tone reminded her of Naraku for some reason... oh yeah, this sort of thing was how he got his start as Onigumo and it was Onigumo who had liked Kikyo. Her skin started crawling, yanking her chin free she said. "Well now that I'm talking to someone qualified to negotiate, I want us to be allowed to leave, I'll give you our food, and our water if you'll allow use to leave."

He smiled, and touched her hair. "Now you're holding out me."

Looking at him she threw in the guns, while slapping his hand away. "We have some guns, you can have them too."

He froze, his hand still hanging in the air where she had knocked it away, but a twisted smirk was growing on his face. The kinda of smirk she knew came before someone like him said something cruel.

"That wasn't very nice."

She jumped in before he could say what she could feel was coming, "You'll find I'm not a very nice girl. Now we want to be allowed to leave before they drop the bombs today at noon."

His nasty smirk had turned into a full blown grin, "Why in such a hurry? The wall is less then two hours down the road, you have plenty of time..."

She knew what was coming and the words came out of his mouth she let her hand trail to her knife. She was starting to wonder if they hadn't noticed the sheaths half hidden by her motorcycle chaps. If so... Ichigo might be a bit mad at her for this.

"...to keep us company."

His hand lashed out and even though she was half expecting it she couldn't help but grunt as the man twisted his hand in her braid and pulled. Bending she heard a scuffle behind her and looked back with one eye and saw Ichigo being held back by two of the would be bandits, he was scowling fiercely, and ignoring the gun to his chest. Then her hair was pulled to the side so she would stop looking at Ichigo.

She glared up at the man pulling her hair, he then pulled her close to him, pressing her into his body. Whispering in her ear he hissed, "Do you really think your friends won't open a car door when I start raping you in front of them?"

Clearly she wasn't giving him enough of a response so he brought up Ichigo, "Or beating your boy?"

She held her face still she wanted him to shift a few steps to the left, she wanted to have a good hold on him before the men holding Ichigo knew what was happening. He yanked her hair harder and she hissed tilting her head, when she got her knife out she was going to make him bleed. A lot. She staggered, he was pulling her hair so hard and tilting her head up enough she was getting a good eye full of sky.

Then he grabbed a handful of breast and she decided that was it, she wasn't going to let it go any further in hopes of getting those three steps. Drawing her right knife and she slashed across the very tops of the guy's thighs, and held the knife to his crotch. She laughed as he tried to pull away, grabbing his shirt she pulled him close, noticing his legs were weak because she had cut deep into muscle. "I told you I wasn't very nice."

His eyes were wide with surprise and fear, he apparently had never faced prey willing to play dirty.

"Hold still and I a won't unman you." Stepping around to the back of him she drew her other knife and wrapped her arm around his throat, holding her second knife to the back and side of his neck meaning he tried to pull her arm down he would slit his own artery.

She found herself looking over his shoulder at the group of five looking at her in surprise, only three were still holding guns on Ichigo, but none of the three were looking at him. Mistake. He yanked on one's gun and knocked him into the other three, then grabbing one.. Manuba in particular. Then he too had a hostage and the bandits were looking confused.

She could see the others coming out of the forest guns held high.

Not caring she was about to deafen the man that had just become her hostage, she shouted to the men coming out on the road. "STAY BACK! I'LL KILL HIM AND NOT LOSE ANY SLEEP TONIGHT!"

They stopped moving.

Now that she had their attention, "Move back into the woods!"

Some stepped back, but the rest seemed unsure. She jabbed her hostage with the lower knife, and he almost shrieked, "For gods sake do as she says!"

They backed up and the four between her and Ichigo seemed unsure of what to do. "You four, move the spikes."

They started moving, cautiously around her where she turned to keep her eyes on them, that was when she aw the one from the far side of the that had been sneaking up on her. Using her right hand knife still tipped with blood, she pointed at him, "Back the hell up bastard!"

He held his hands up and backed up not stopping till he was in the grass on the side of the road. She watched the four move the spikes, once they had them in the grass she issued her next order, "Alright I want guns on the ground, hands in the air!"

After some nervous shifting they did as she ordered, then backing towards the back of the car she looked at Ichigo, he was grinning at her. "Ichigo you let your guy go, let him get to the side of the road then hop in, I'll be right behind you."

He eyed her, but nodded, removing the knife from his hostage's throat he gave him a nudge, and the guy ran for the side of the road his hands up the whole time.

Once he was there Ichigo got to the back of the car and Chad swung it open for him, he hopped in and she started backing towards the car she didn't want to give any of these punks a chance to get their hands on her. Much less the guy she was holding.

Realizing she was in the shadow and glancing back she could see the wheel she knew she was almost at the door. She took a deep breath and then sheathed her knife in her right hand, taking another step back she pulled a little harder with her arm bending the bastard in her arms over backwards, putting his ear at her mouth. "Next time you think you can get ahead by threaten to rape a woman and enjoying it, just remember for every woman that's weak and gives in there's one like me that would happily stab you for it."

That said she took her knife from his throat, and quickly stabbed his shoulder, maybe an inch deep. He squawked and she gave him a hard shove sending him to his knees. Then she turned and jumped in the car, Ichigo pulled the car door closed behind her and Mrs. Ebina at the wheel hit the gas. They sped off and she collapsed down next to Ichigo.

After a moment of silence in the back Will spoke up, "Ichigo I hate to break it you but I think Kagome would kill you if you cheated on her."

Kagome chuckled and Ichigo pulled her close, "Good thing I was never the cheating type."


	4. Chapter 4

**Zombies**

**Disclaimer I own nothing, neither Bleach or Inuyasha nor any Zombie Movies. I was inspired by High school of the Dead, Last of the Living, and just about any other zombie movie out there that I've seen. And yes this is a product of boredom and lack of sleep considering I thought of this at five in the morning. By the way this takes place after Ichigo beat Aizen and lost his powers and as if the never manga picks up again. And sorry my faithful Everyone's Dead fans this just wouldn't go away till I wrote it, so now that it's done maybe I can work on chapter 35. If it kills me!**

**To a Fan I have to ask have you read my Reverse the Curse story? Because if you liked that it wasn't me just making them live in one world you might like it too.**

**In Soul Society**

**Rukia**

She sat propped against the wall, she was suppose to be keeping watch in case the Zombies found a way in but she figured after a week of watching the pile of stuff blocking the door, nothing was getting in.

She looked over the room, she knew they could have had it worse, like being locked up some place with no food, for one, but after having been in the same three rooms for days on end with Kiyone and Sentaro she was pretty sure she was feeling just a little batty, sure there was three others here but one of them didn't talk because she was so deeply in shock, one of the others had been knocked in the head and despite all the Kido she and the others used he wouldn't wake enough to do more then eat and sleep and the last... well when you got her started she wouldn't stop talking and they knew quiet meant the Zombies outside were quieter.

Of course it had been usually quiet even as quiet as they had been...

Then something rattled at the door, grabbing her Zanpakuto she shouted, "Who goes there?"

The door stopped rattling and she waited for voices, then to her surprise she heard Urahara ask, "Hello? Is someone in there?"

"Urahara!"

She started digging at the door figuring he needed in if he was outside, reaching the door she threw it wide and found him staring down at her bemusedly.

"Rukia, it's good to see you we thought Thirteen was gone completely."

She stared up at him, "What are you doing? Don't you need to get in away from them?" Even as she asked she noted aside from some bodies nothing but her and Urahara were moving.

"No. We killed the Zombies last night. Used a Kido to target the virus Mayuri made."

Rukia blinked, and then nodded, "How about you start from the beginning."

**In the Real World 9:27 a.m.**

**Kagome**

They had stopped at the edge of what looked to be a huge parking lot, only a really creepy one considering every single car there had blood on it. They could see the start of the wall, first it was clearly a thrown up wall, just layer after layer of chain link mixed with layers of sand bags, then behind that there was a ten foot tall thing of bricks, with watch towers, with guards. At least they could see people. Not just empty watch towers like in the movies, where there was no hope the zombies would end, it just went on and on forever.

She started walking, her big bag thrown over her shoulders, her back up bow in her hands, arrows on her back pack. Ichigo had his bag of water and food along with his crowbar. Will and Chad looked much the same exchanging weapons. Karin had a bag full of food, and a couple of things she didn't know what they were, Karin hadn't shown anyone what was in the bag. Yuzu had the back pack with Sasha and her food and water, along with the big water bottle for herself. Mrs. Ebina just had a bag full of water, and knives, and her gun.

They reached what seemed like a multi layer gate. Something to stop the zombies she was guessing. Opening it, she walked in, Ichigo, and everyone right behind her, Will as the last one in closed the gate and she opened the next one, passed the next one there was a person in a full hazmat suit. With a gun.

Feeling uneasy she walked in, and the others followed all of their eyes on the guard. Shutting the gate they opened the one with the guard in it, the man spoke. "Don't be afraid, just take turns showing me you have no bites and I'll let you pass for the more full medical examination."

"More full medical examination?" Will asked sounding a little worried.

"Just blood and cat scans."

"Why?" Mrs. Ebina asked.

"Because we don't know what caused this breakout, we just want to insure it doesn't have a carrier and get out into the rest of the population, you'll be allowed phone calls and food."

Kagome chewed her lip, but they had no choice, setting her pack down, she unzipped her coat and showed off her t-shirt clad body. She got a nod and she zipped up her coat.

"Show me your legs too."

She nodded and managed to tug up and down the chaps without taking them off completely, she got waved to behind the person where with her pack she waited for the others. Ichigo was waved through quickly, and his sisters followed, Sasha was examined gently before behind handed back to Yuzu. Mrs. Ebina went next and was waved through, Chad went quickly and Will came last, then together they followed the winding maze of chain link, till they passed through the brick wall. There they could see a full camp of refugee and medical tents.

And just like that their view was blocked by doctors who almost pounced on them, Kagome found herself with the twins being pulled one way and the others being split up too. Kagome surprised herself by crying out, "Wait! Stop!"

The Doctors stopped and she found herself surprised by the tears in her eyes, "Please put us together in a tent, please?"

Yuzu and Karin nodded hard, Kagome felt a little relieved to realize she wasn't the only feeling an irrational fear of it they were split up she wouldn't see them again. Maybe some of it was she went through the well and couldn't go back, or maybe it was because she knew she wouldn't see most if not all of her classmates again. People left and didn't come back all the time. The Doctors looked at one another and shrugged, and started going a different direction, going towards a bigger tent.

The seven of them walked in and were put on clean light blue sheeted beds, she, the twins and Mrs. Ebina could see each other and the boys were across the way, the Doctors brought in white fabric dividers and set them up making small little rooms, a woman doctor patted her knee and asked sympathetically, "Is this okay dear?"

Kagome nodded, she felt better knowing she could just shout and they would hear her.

"Let's start with taking your jacket off dear, then tell me your name."

**12:02 p.m.**

Kagome sat on her bed and waited for her test results back, in the mean time nibbling on some rice balls she'd been brought. She could hear the planes over head and could hear farther off the low booms, she just tried not to think of the bandits, or of all the animals... or homes. The Zombies would be gone and that would be all that mattered.

They had gone through her bag, and questioned her about the money and papers she explained it had come from her shrine, they did a internet search on one of the laptops she had noticed and found the picture of her doing an archery demonstration for the Shrine, that plus the family photos meant they believed her when she said the money was from the safe on the shrine.

She watched Yuzu and Karin nibble on their own food as they played with Sasha who had just gotten back from her own tests. Sasha seemed a bit sleepy and Kagome guessed they had drugged her so she wouldn't fight. Mrs. Ebina was asleep on the bed passed the twins two beds.

The woman who had done her test came in smiling, her mask off as were her gloves, "Good news, you four are all clear and I see your kitten is clean, we should hear back on the boys soon, but since you're clear you can now use the phone."

Yuzu and Karin just nodded, but Kagome slid off the bed. The woman looked at two girls, a faint frown between her brows. Kagome spoke before the woman asked, "Their brother is on the other side, they don't have anyone else."

The woman nodded a sad look on her face, Kagome wasn't surprised, she had to have seen lots of survivors without anyone to call. "I would really like to make my phone call now."

The woman nodded and pulled a cell phone out of her pocket, Kagome took it and then realized while her mom left the name of the cabin in her message she didn't give her the phone number, meaning she needed to have the number before she could call. Turning back to the woman now watching the twins play with Sasha, "Excuse me but I just realized I don't know the phone number of where my mom and brother said they were, the woman nodded, "Just give me a name or an address of where their staying and I can find you the number on one of the computers."

Kagome nodded and then realized she didn't know her name, "Sorry you told me your name earlier but I seen to have forgotten."

The woman smiled gently, "I am Dr. Akane Kato."

"Thank you Dr. Kato."

Dr. Kato nodded, "It's perfectly understandable Higurashi-chan what you've been through the last few days must have been terrifying, and being scared that much for that long will make a lot of things slip."

Kagome felt a smirk break out across her lips, something had to be wrong with her, because if anything this had been the closure to her past that she had needed for so very very long. Terrifying was not what she would have said.

**1:09 p.m.**

Kagome held the phone to her ear and listened to the ring, one, two, three, then the phone was picked up. "Souta here, have you heard about Kagome?"

She laughed, "Souta who would wait so long to call you but me?" She heard him gasp and then he screamed, "MOM! MOM! KAGOME'S ON THE PHONE!" She then heard some muffed thank the gods, and then "Souta give me the phone!"

"But Mom I picked up I want to talk to her first!"

"Fine be quick!"

Souta made some sort of shuffling sound before her dork brother asked the most unexpected question, "Was it really Zombies?"

She made a choking sound and he babbled, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about but I just wanted to know."

"Souta. I missed you. And yes it really was Zombies, so thank you for making me watch some of those lame movies with you."

He laughed, "Once again I failed to be there for an adventure. So you did go back to the house right? That's how you knew to call us here?"

"Yep."

"HA! Told you Mom! First place Kagome was coming was to check on us!"

Kagome sighed, "I think it's time to let mom talk to me before she hurts you."

Souta gulped, "I think you're right. Here mom Kagome wants to talk to you."

There was some fumbling before her mother's soft voice came on sounding relieved. "Kagome dear, you're not hurt are you?"

"No mom, the only blood I lost was the bit for the tests at the exit."

A long and soft sigh reached her ears, "Good. Darling I don't know what we'll do for money with the shrine gone."

"Chill mom, If your friend doesn't mind we can stay there I have all the money from the safe and the shrine."

"Grabbed all that?"

"Most I left the change behind but I grabbed pictures, money, records. Everything."

"Thank god, not only did you grab that stuff, you got out of Tokyo alive, that's suppose to be the worst place hit, the towns on the edge were evacuated, but supposedly only something like one in hundred survived and half of those were away before the outbreak."

Kagome sighed, "Mom I believe it, the only reason I'm around is because my group we found a... I don't really remember what it's called but it's an American Humvee of some sort. Bullet proof so not much could get in."

Her mother sounded cautious, probably remember how well she took losing her friends last time, "And you said Group?"

"Yes, me, Chad, Will he's from America he was our driver for the most part, Mrs. Ebina, Sasha the kitten, Ichigo and his two twin sisters Karin and Yuzu."

"And?"

"Is it okay if Ichigo, his sisters, Chad and probably the rest actually come for a few days? Will should be able to fly home soon, but the rest lived in Karakura Town, which is probably ash blowing in the wind at the moment. Or smoke if I look outside."

Her mother sighed, "Yeah, if you don't mind sharing a room with these Twins."

"Nope its cool, we've had to room on the road."

"So let me get this straight, you left Karakura town with six others and they went with you to Tokyo?"

"Yep."

There was silence on the other end, Kagome wanted to say something but she didn't know what to say. What was there to say? Her mother was worried her heart would break all over again went they broke up to go live their lives, but she wasn't, she would be able to say goodbye, and if she needed there was a phone. Her mother would see.

"Anything else I should know?"

"No."

"Okay, how are you going to get here?"

"The bus I bet, you are in the area around Mt. Zao on the side nearest Yamagata?"

"Yes."

"We'll see you in a day or two, okay?"

"Yes, love you Kagome."

"Love you to, tell Souta I love him too."

"Will do, see you soon."

"Yep."

Her mother hung up, Kagome stood, part of her heart still felt a little heavy, but over all she felt relieved, her mother and brother knew she was safe, the cities were burning, the Zombies should be gone, and her group was safe. She looked up at the twins and at Mrs. Ebina reading on the bed farther down, using a loud voice so the boys would be sure to hear her, "Guess what we have a place to stay! You guys are going to get to meet my mother!"

**Four Months Later**

Kagome took her break, drinking from her water bottle deeply, the last four months had been crazy, Will had gone back to the states a week after they got outside the wall, that next month was spent hanging around and doing nothing much, the government had programs and with the money they had it was okay, but they couldn't stay that way forever. So last month when the plans on how to rebuild Tokyo were made and offers of anyone person who worked on the new city would be given nice new homes when finished, she, Ichigo, Chad and loads of others agreed. Ichigo's sisters had even tried to come, but that had been shot down, they, her brother and mother were still staying at the cabin, turns out her mother's friend was killed shortly after the first outbreak.

The outbreak in the lab, it turns out the lab wasn't one experimenting with viruses but a lab trying to open a portal to an alternate dimension, turns out they did too well. Letting the virus out. Then when the lab didn't check in for three days after turning it on, people went to check on them and came out Zombies spreading the virus. Not that as far as doctors were concerned there was a virus they never got any viable samples. Something about a virus of the soul doesn't show up on blood tests.

Cough, wink, nudge, not that she knew anything about anything. Ichigo did though and some friends of his only she, Chad, Karin could see, turns out it came from where ever they came from.

Mrs. Ebina moved else where with her husband who was back from his business trip, the two of them sounded happy last she heard from them. Kagome sighed and took another sip, Ichigo and her were dating seriously, both of them as a whole for the family; her mother, her brother and his sisters, they had agreed and signed contracts stating they would help rebuild Tokyo in exchange for two years work they would get a house big enough for their family and property in reimbursement for the shrine and his dad's office, after that Ichigo had already applied to be a nurse or assistant in one of the new hospitals. And he was still studying in off time to become a full doctor. She was a little more lazy, the records saved from her college said she had done all but one semester to finish becoming a history major and she had applied to go to one of the new colleges when the city was finished to take teaching courses, she didn't have much studying to do as of yet. She couldn't take online courses because the power wasn't perfect out here yet, not to mention things, not hers, but others' here had vanished. Some people on the project were still what they had been before, criminals.

She drained the water bottle and stood ready to get back to work.

**Twenty-One Months After That**

Kagome stared down at the ring Ichigo was offering to her, three bands of silver twisted to form the ring, sapphires dotted in threes up to the main diamond the three twists lifted out above the rest of the ring. "Yes. Ichigo I'd love to marry you."

He slid the ring on her finger and stood tipping her head back to kiss her deeply, the two of them lost themselves to the kiss fast enough they didn't see or hear the whole dinner party burst in to applause. Ichigo proposing at the farewell dinner to their crew of four hundred that had all signed two year contracts was perfect.

**Five Years Later**

Kagome held their first son in her arms, naming him after Ichigo's father was a nice touch, Isshin may have been an bit crazy when ever he wanted to be, but he also was a man that had died to protect his family and that was something Kagome respected. Souta had met and was dating a nice girl now, Yuzu had gone and married another surviver she met at chef school, Karin had become a semi-famous soccer player, she seemed happy but also showed no signs of wanting to date or marry anyone.

Her mother to her surprise had met a nice man after close to twenty some years of devotion to Kagome's father and the two of them seemed to be dating. Her mother had moved else where to work at a shrine, Souta and her both not needing mother so much any more. Souta was on college campus most the time so the house was hers and Ichigo's, and he was a doctor in this very hospital.

Speak of the devil, her husband walked in, a pleased smirk on his face, "You get to go home tonight, I won't have to cook for myself again."

She frowned at him but knew he was joking, her mother was going to get here tonight having failed to get here yesterday in time to greet her new grandson, and her mother wanted to take over house work for the next week or two while she healed up and adjusted to having a baby crying at all hours. "Here Isshin seems to be done, hold him well I fix my shirt."

Ichigo happily took his son from her, smiling his little happy smile he cooed to the drooling babe. Kagome felt her heart melt just a little more, he was going to be an amazing dad.

**Fifteen Years After That**

Kagome washed dishes watching out the window as Ichigo supervised Isshin, Hideki; her second son named after her own father, her third son was named Carlos and then there was Masaki: Her daughter named after Ichigo's mother who died much the same way as her husband even if it was years before. But Ichigo was making sure none of them started shooting at anything other then the targets, all the children had started marshall arts at five and then at ten they learned how to shoot a gun and then how use a bow. She supposed she was little paranoid but Ichigo agreed with the children should learn how to fight in more then one way so she wasn't too bad. Or at least no worst then anyone who became a parent after surviving the Burn Out as the common nick name of it was. Hitoshi made it out and married a girl that they had met on the way out, he had also insisted his children be trained, she wasn't close to him but they had both been glad when they found out the other survived, the ten year remembrance had been a good idea.

He had gone on to be the historian like he wanted but what he had done instead of the focusing on his favorite period he became the expert on the survivors, the plans and everything leading up to the day of burning. Or as she and most anyone who got out of there said the War Z man.

She sighed and put the last dish on the counter in the drying rack, she knew what had happened but since almost no one else did there was always a fear when in was mentioned it could start again. She wasn't worried of that but with Isshin having turned fifteen this year and considering both her and Ichigo's track record for that number she was worried her world would soon be changed again.

**The End**

**So sorry for the long wait, my muse is a fickle thing and I've been busy else where, Everyone's Dead should be up soon, or at least as soon as I can beat my muse in to letting me finish the chapter the way I want. So no promises, but thank you all for reading and I do always like reviews.**

**Dark Shadowed Rose**


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